Temporary Account Access Issues Entry #293 13 Jul 2017 4:00 am Christopher C Charles Comments off Recently, the HABRI Central Team discovered that several member accounts had been inadvertently disabled following routine maintenance activities. We are currently working to assess the scope of the issue and to restore access to any accounts that may have been inadvertently disabled. In the...
A Perfect Human-Animal Bond Storm Entry #292 03 Jul 2017 11:15 am Myrna Milani 0 comments Nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion. Arthur Koestler While many items appear on my list of enjoyable activities, reading mysteries remains a life-long favorite. This ongoing exploration of the who-what-where-when-how and why of hundreds plots and thousands of characters...
Transport Dog Lessons Entry #258 03 Aug 2016 4:07 am Myrna Milani 1 comments I’m one of those people who enjoys optimism far more than pessimism. And because the animal transport scene sometimes really gets me down, I decided to list the benefits I’ve gained since this process began. I limit these remarks to those benefits related to transport dogs. Even...
An Environment for Empathy and Empowerment: An Interview with Carol Rathmann of Forget Me Not Farm Entry #249 02 Aug 2016 12:02 pm Katie Carroll 0 comments Founder of Forget Me Not Farm Carol RathmannAfter spending over 20 years as a veterinary technician, Carol Rathmann began working with the Sonoma Humane Society and took an interest in the connection between child and animal abuse. At the time, she did not see many people using...
Galloping Toward Recovery: An Interview with Dave Beck of Cirque Lodge Entry #251 05 Jul 2016 12:27 pm Katie Carroll 0 comments Cirque Lodge Director of Experiential Therapies Dave Beck Many recovering alcoholics and drug addicts feel powerless and shameful. When they first enter Cirque Lodge, a residential addiction treatment center, they may struggle to open up to other people and often prefer to be alone....
A Beneficial Partnership for Everyone Involved: An Interview with Alyson Cox of NEADS Entry #250 02 Jun 2016 9:00 am Katie Carroll 0 comments NEADS Manager of Communications Alyson CoxLike most service and therapy dog organizations, National Education for Assistance Dog Services (NEADS) puts an emphasis on their dogs’ thorough training and ability to perform well after being placed with a handler. However, unlike most...
Prescribing Animals for Human Health: Above all, do no harm Entry #252 01 Jun 2016 4:27 am Myrna Milani 0 comments Increasingly I encounter situations that involve the prescription of assistance or support animals for people with various health issues. There are two primary groups of prescribers: human healthcare professionals and self-prescribers, i.e., those who decide that one of these animals would...
A New "PHARM" Hand: An Interview with Jackie Allenbrand of PHARM Dog USA Entry #248 03 May 2016 3:37 pm Katie Carroll 0 comments PHARM Dog USA Founder and Director Jackie AllenbrandWhen a farmer is confronted with an illness or injury, his or her life and farming operation can take a huge hit. The financial consequences can be huge, but, often, the emotional side effects are most devastating. Aware of the...
Four-Legged Companions and Guardians for Rape Survivors: An Interview with Michael Hosto Entry #246 11 Apr 2016 9:00 am Katie Carroll 0 comments Guardian Therapy Dogs founder Michael HostoOne night when Michael Hosto was 12 years old, someone broke into his family’s St. Louis home and raped his mother. This event traumatized his family and left his mother feeling helpless and afraid. After watching his mother spend...
Horses and Speech Therapy - The Unexpected Connection: An Interview with Tina Rocco, M.A. CCC-SLP, HPCS Entry #244 01 Mar 2016 1:39 pm Katie Carroll 0 comments Growing up around horses, Tina Rocco, M.A. CCC-SLP, HPCS knew that one day she would love to incorporate the majestic creatures into her career. While studying speech language pathology at Long Island University, she discovered the perfect way to work with two of her favorite subjects:...
Doug the Pug Finds His Niche as a Therapy Dog: An Interview with Cate Archer Entry #243 02 Feb 2016 10:20 am Katie Carroll 0 comments Doug the Pug, the therapy dog, is a little dog who makes a big impact. With his gentle demeanor and loving nature, Doug can often be found bringing smiles to the faces of children, cuddling with isolated senior citizens, and, most recently, starring in a children’s book that...
Service Dog Devaluation Entry #242 01 Feb 2016 7:48 am Myrna Milani 0 comments With each passing decade, the respect with which US society views service dogs and their handlers sadly steadily declines. This poses increased problems for these animals and their handlers and those around them. Recently I saw something I never thought I’d see in my lifetime: an...
Incorporation of Aquarium into Special Education Classroom goes Swimmingly: An Interview with Christine Holton Entry #240 12 Jan 2016 11:23 am Katie Carroll 0 comments Two members of Christine Holton’s special education class receive a lot of extra attention from the other students. These two members of the class help teach the students responsibility, communication, motor skills, and self-control. However, these class members can usually be...
The Squawk about Hen-Keeping in Elderly Care Facilities: An Interview with Douglas Hunter Entry #239 14 Dec 2015 2:39 pm Katie Carroll 0 comments For many centuries, people living in rural areas and on farms have kept laying hens either as a way to get fresh eggs for their families or as a way to make a profit by selling the eggs. More recently, hen-keeping has become a trendy urban and suburban hobby, with coops popping up in...
A Real Win-Win: Saving Dogs and Saving Veterans: An Interview with Susan Hinkle Entry #238 12 Nov 2015 1:38 pm Katie Carroll 0 comments “I find it fascinating how a dog can change a person’s life,” said Susan Hinkle, Founder and Program Director of Missouri Patriot Paws. Missouri Patriot Paws Founder and Program Director Susan HinkleAn Idea Takes Off Before starting Missouri Patriot Paws, an organization...
Internal Clocks and the Human-Animal Bond Entry #237 07 Nov 2015 2:17 pm Myrna Milani 0 comments Particularly in areas with temperate climates, November is a transition month. In the northern hemisphere summer has yielded to fall and signs of winter become more common. In the US, November also signals the arrival of that abomination known as the time change. It’s an abomination for...
Does "can" mean "should"? Entry #236 23 Oct 2015 4:16 am Myrna Milani 0 comments Two recen articles illustrate a disturbing trend in science: the use of domestic animals for genetic manipulation research and subtly or not-so-subtly marketing their results to the general public in one way or...
Using Howls to Empower: An Interview with Giulia Cappelli Entry #235 20 Oct 2015 12:36 pm Katie Carroll 0 comments When envisioning wolves, the first image that comes to most of people’s minds is one of a large pack perched on a hillside, howling at the moon, or one of a determined, agile creature galloping through the forest in pursuit of his prey. However, Giulia Cappelli, Lead of Programs and...
The Ethology of the Bond Entry #234 04 Oct 2015 12:06 pm Myrna Milani 0 comments In a a commentary I wrote for my website, I explored some basic concepts of ethology as they relate to human and animal behavior. Writing that got me thinking about the ethology of the human-animal bond. I’m the first to admit that when I was younger, my views of...
A 1,200 Pound Therapist and Window to the Mind: An Interview with Hayley Sumner Entry #233 15 Sep 2015 12:58 pm Katie Carroll 0 comments “You have to earn a horse’s trust by being true, honest, and aware of both the horse and yourself,” said Hayley Sumner, Founder and Executive Director of Berkshire HorseWorks. Berkshire HorseWorks' Founder and Executive Director Hayley SumnerBefore founding Berkshire...
