The Loss of a Service Dog Through Death or Retirement: Experiences and Impact on Partners

This study was designed to better understand how service dog partners experience the loss of their service dog. An anonymous survey was distributed to service dog partners who had lost a dog within the last five years. One-way ANOVAs were used to assess loss differences (retirement vs. death) on scores for Centrality of Events Scale, Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, Social Constraints Measure, and Self-Compassion Scale. Linear regression was conducted on the total bereavement score to determine the impact of the above assessment measures. We found higher grief scores for those whose service dog died compared to those whose dog retired. Perceptions of social constraints and feelings related to the centrality of the event were predictors of overall grief for those who lost a dog due to retirement; centrality of event feelings predicted grief level for those experiencing a death. Findings suggest a need for grief support for service dog partners.

Revealing and identification of isoniazid metabolites in beef meat in case of poisoning of service dogs

Relevance. Every year, dog breeders are faced with the problem of acute poisoning of dogs. Various toxic compounds can be the cause of dog poisoning. The huge variety of potentially toxic substances makes it difficult to identify the source of poisoning. Service dog breeding also faces this problem, as a result of which it is necessary to have information about the possibility of poisoning service dogs, as well as methods for detecting toxic substances and preventing further poisoning. In service dog breeding, they mainly use feed made by cooking gruel soup in boilers in the feed kitchens of nurseries. Due to the fact that there were cases of poisoning of service dogs in the Vyborg district of the Leningrad region, we conducted research to identify toxic compounds in beef from which feed was made in the feed kitchens of nurseries.Methods. The studies were carried out at the Institute of Toxicology of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency using an Acguity UPLC I-class ultra-performance liquid chromatograph with a spectrophotometric detecto and an Acguity UPLC H-class ultraperformance liquid chromatograph with a Xevo TQD tandem mass spectrometer. Sample components were identified by electronic spectra and mass numbers.Results. According to the results of the study, the presence of isoniazid metabolic products in the form of isonicatinic acid, as well as conjugates of isoniazid with sulfuric, acetic and glucuronic acids, was found in beef meat.The obtained results of the study of the chromatographic profiles of aqueous extracts and the chemical identification of their components in the products that are used for the preparation of food for service dogs make it possible to accurately determine and identify toxic substances with a wide variety of them. Thus, in order to prevent the loss of service dogs, it is necessary to control the newly received food and feed in order to prevent poisoning.

Police Officers’ Best Friend?: An Exploratory Analysis of the Effect of Service Dogs on Perceived Organizational Support in Policing

This study explored the effectiveness of a novel technique for police departments to support their officers and promote wellness: the use of service dogs. We evaluated officer perceptions in two mid-sized, municipal police departments that have wellness programs with a service dog that is permanently assigned to a full-time police officer handler: Groton and Naugatuck, Connecticut. We assessed six factors believed to influence police officer wellness including: operational and organizational stress using the Police Stress Questionnaire; topical stressors including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, police use of force and community relations, and police reform efforts; Perceived Organizational Support (POS); receptivity to service dogs; and willingness to seek assistance for mental health issues. We found evidence that exposure to service dogs is significantly linked to both POS and receptivity to service dogs in policing. We also found that officer willingness to seek their department’s assistance regarding mental health approaches significance with greater exposure to the service dog ( p = .07). Although we found no significant evidence that exposure to service dogs is linked to stress reduction, we found that police reforms pose a substantial perceived stress on officers in the study. This finding presents a serious challenge for reformers that risks undermining officer wellness. Implications of our findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Evaluation of Veterinary Students’ Communication Skills with a Service Dog Handler in a Simulated Client Scenario

Effective communication skills serve as a key component of excellent veterinary care and provide a foundation for building trusting relationships with clients. While many veterinary clients value their pets for companionship, the focus of other relationships may be based on a partnership between the human and animal, as is the case with the handlers of service dogs. As the use of service dogs in the US continues to grow, it is important that veterinary professionals are educated on how best to meet the unique needs of service dogs and their handlers. This article evaluates the interactions of veterinary students with a service dog handler in a simulated client scenario. Ten videotaped interactions were coded to assess third-year students’ communication skills (nonverbal communication, open-ended questions, reflective listening, and empathy), and their ability to discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic options for a dog with suspected intervertebral disk disease. Results showed that the majority of students demonstrated competence in the use of nonverbal communication skills and in discussing the biomedical aspects of the disease. Students require development in the use of open-ended questions, reflective listening statements, and expression of empathy, as well as building client rapport and discussing the psychosocial aspect of the disease on the client and patient. These findings suggest that veterinary students may benefit from targeted instruction on “best practices” in caring for service dogs and their handlers, including greater attention to the psychosocial aspects of a disease, and from additional communication practice using standardized clients with service dogs.

The Professor Paws Project: Innovative Strategies for Educating Middle and High School Students About OT and Service Dogs

Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. OTs and service dogs specialize in helping people to live their lives as independently as possible. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a program combining service dog education and information about careers in OT would improve understanding of service dogs and increase knowledge and pique interest in OT careers for 7th- to 12th-grade students. The Professor Paws Project model of combining service dog education with OT career education is a successful model. Primary Author and Speaker: Mary Isaacson Additional Authors and Speakers: Shelby Dickerson, Kelsey Jarolim