News HOUND-UP
THERAPY DOGS SHOWN TO LESSEN PATIENTS’ PAIN
Scientists at Canada’s University of Saskatchewan found that just 10 minutes with a therapy dog can reduce levels of pain, anxiety, and depression in hospital patients.
The research, published in the scientific journal ‘PLOS One’, focused on more than 200 emergency room patients at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatchewan, which was chosen for its longstanding visiting therapy dog programme.
Results revealed that patients who spent time with a ‘canine comforter’ reported significantly lower pain, compared to those who weren’t visited by a therapy dog.
STEPPING OUT FOR CHARITY
Nottinghamshire Police control room dispatcher Daniela Evans walked 280,000 steps in one month to raise money for a canine cause close to her heart.
Daniela has so far collected £1,075 for charity the Thin Blue Paw Foundation, which supports and celebrates working and retired police dogs.
The 32-year-old from Nottingham owns Dutch Herder Charlie, who failed his police dog training, and German Shepherd Harper, who retired early due to injury and is one of nearly 300 former police dogs supported by the Foundation.
SPANIEL SAVED FROM DRAIN
A dog has been found alive after falling into a Suffolk storm drain and spending three days chest-deep in stagnant water.
Ten-year-old Sprocker (Springer X Cocker Spaniel) Ebb disappeared on a walk in Sudbury, but was eventually found by her owner’s son-in-law, Michael Cromwell, after neighbours helped look for her.
A shivering and exhausted Ebb was finally pulled to safety from the five-foot deep drain, and given the all-clear by a local vet.
MISSING MOLLY’S MOUNTAIN RESCUE
A dog owner in Northern Ireland has thanked the local community for their help in finding his Springer Spaniel, after she went missing in the Mourne Mountains for two days.
Ricky Lyle spent hours looking for Molly in challenging weather conditions, before returning home and posting an appeal on
social media. Members of the public, the Search And Rescue Dog Association Ireland North, and the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team helped comb the mountains for the lost dog, who was eventually found safe and well, and reunited with Ricky.
OAP MOUNTAIN RESCUE DOG RECEIVES ‘OBE’
The UK’s oldest known working mountain rescue search dog has been presented with a prestigious award.
Skye received the PDSA Order of Merit — or ‘animal OBE’ — after completing more than 200 searches during her
11-year career. Owned and handled by John Leadbetter, the Border Collie finally retired in September 2020, aged 14-and-a-half.
The pair searched day and night in all weathers to support the Lake District Mountain Rescue Teams and locate missing people.
“Skye means everything to me; she’s my best friend on the fells and we’re life-long partners,” said John, 49. “To say we’re chuffed is an understatement!”
VEGAN DOGS LIVE LONGER, CLAIMS REPORT
A paper published in scientific journal ‘PLOS One’ concludes that feeding dogs a vegan diet, compared to raw meat or commercial off-the-shelf tinned food, can help them live healthier, longer lives.
The study of more than 2,500 dogs, led by Professor Andrew Knight of the University of Winchester, is the largest of its kind, and revealed that the healthiest and least hazardous dietary choices for dogs are nutritionally sound vegan diets. Although scientists found that the raw meat diet appeared to have marginally better health outcomes, those dogs were significantly younger, so had a health advantage.
Professor Knight said that previous studies had shown raw meat diets to be more contaminated with pathogenic bacteria and parasites.
SURVEY ON BREEDING DOGS WITH HEALTH ISSUES
A YouGov survey found that 71 per cent of the British public are in favour of banning selective breeding of certain canine breeds when it results in serious health issues.
But support dipped to 57 per cent when specific breeds, such as Pugs and French Bulldogs, were mentioned. Older Britons — 65 per cent of those aged 65 and over — were more likely to support a ban on breeding flat-faced dogs, compared to 52 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds.