Tails in the News
By Sarah Dahnke
It’s believed that pets can help boost a sick patient’s mood, thereby improving his recovery. A local group has taken this theory to a new level, creating a pilot study that indicates that patients have a tendency to show physical improvement after working with dogs. Joe Frey, vice president of research for animal-assisted therapy organization Chenny Troupe, coauthored the study, which was published in the summer issue of the American Journal of Recreational Therapy. He served as a liaison between Chenny Troupe and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where the study was conducted, and arranged for a group of patients, many of whom had suffered from strokes, to engage in dog-assisted therapy on a regular basis.
“We wanted to find the simplest way possible we could to replicate a therapy exercise with or without a dog, so we chose walking,” Frey says. “Our study sample was small, and the results are not statistically significant. But they showed a trend toward being able to walk a longer time and a longer distance with the dogs than without.”
Frey says that because the patients were asked to walk with the dogs at the end of the day, there were a lot of factors, such as visiting hours, dinnertime, and fatigue that potentially inhibited the consistency of the results.
While moving on to a study with more therapy and a larger cross section of patients is a bit of an overwhelming task at this point, Frey says getting a peer-reviewed study published was a first step in the right direction.
“We’d like to create a larger study with a larger sample and incorporate dogs into regular therapy throughout the day and compare them with a control group,” Frey says. “In order to do this, we’d need a regular on-call dog team, and that’s rather difficult to arrange.”
The recently passed state law banning the import or export of horsemeat for human consumption has been appealed, allowing the Cavel International horse slaughterhouse in DeKalb to reopen for operation. When the facility was shut down in June, the Federal District Court would not allow the slaughterhouse to remain open while Cavel appealed the law, but the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago granted the company permission to operate while the case is being resolved. The slaughterhouse is currently the only facility in the country that is producing horsemeat for human consumption.
Dr. Dan G. Parmer, head of the Cook County Animal and Rabies Control Department, passed away on Friday, Aug. 3, due to complications from prostate cancer. Since he began working with the department in 1988, he pushed hard to require microchips in most pets and successfully spearheaded a campaign to require dogs who use Chicago dog parks to have permits. Parmer previously served as the City of Chicago’s chief veterinarian and worked as a consultant to the Chicago Department of Health. He received numerous awards and recognition for his dedication to animal welfare and food safety. Parmer received his veterinary degree from Auburn University and ran private practices around the Chicagoland area before going to work for the City of Chicago.
For the past 14 years, Kathy Schubert has been organizing bike rides for humans and their dogs, in celebration of Joey, her Miniature Schnauzer’s birthday. Past rides have included tours of local dog parks, and last year, Schubert hosted a Bark Mitzvah tour of Chicago area temples. In honor of Joey’s 14th birthday, Schubert has organized a bike tour of area shelters, which will travel as far south as the Anti-Cruelty Society on Grand Avenue and as far north as Evanston. The tour will also include a stop at a restaurant that allows dogs to sit outside.
Schubert has been bringing Joey along on rides since before her first birthday, and ever since then, she logs about 2,000 miles per year, all around the country.
Schubert requires that all humans wear a helmet, but it is optional for dogs. For more information about the ride click here.
Members of the animal community are working to revise portions of the animal ordinance in Cook County in order to address the increasing feral cat problem. The current ordinance, which states that guardians are not allowed to let their animals roam unleashed, has created problems for local residents involved in Trap-Neuter-Return efforts. Under the current ordinance, if someone cares for a feral animal, they risk being ticketed by an Animal Care and Control officer.
“In [the ordinance’s] desired purpose, it makes perfect sense,” says Cherie Travis, founder of PACT Humane Society. Travis has been spearheading changes to the current law to create a feral cat ordinance that would be structured in three tiers: Cook County Animal Control would remain an authority on animal-related issues. Below them would be a layer of shelters, designated as sponsors, who would oversee the third tier which consists of the feral cat caregivers. Shelters would be responsible for making sure feral cat caregivers are properly trained, educated, and are following instructions to make sure the cats are given proper care.
Travis says she hopes the ordinance, if passed, will change the dynamic between citizens and Animal Care and Control. “Most people are not wanting to put themselves in a position where they will be taken to court,” she says. “But we believe an army of volunteers working on their time with their resources is a much better option. Cook County has six animal control wardens, and it’s just not enough to curb the [feral cat] problem.”
The Cook County board is making final changes to the ordinance. It is expected to be introduced in mid-to-late August.
Pilot study shows that dogs may assist patients in improving therapy results
It’s believed that pets can help boost a sick patient’s mood, thereby improving his recovery. A local group has taken this theory to a new level, creating a pilot study that indicates that patients have a tendency to show physical improvement after working with dogs. Joe Frey, vice president of research for animal-assisted therapy organization Chenny Troupe, coauthored the study, which was published in the summer issue of the American Journal of Recreational Therapy. He served as a liaison between Chenny Troupe and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where the study was conducted, and arranged for a group of patients, many of whom had suffered from strokes, to engage in dog-assisted therapy on a regular basis.
“We wanted to find the simplest way possible we could to replicate a therapy exercise with or without a dog, so we chose walking,” Frey says. “Our study sample was small, and the results are not statistically significant. But they showed a trend toward being able to walk a longer time and a longer distance with the dogs than without.”
Frey says that because the patients were asked to walk with the dogs at the end of the day, there were a lot of factors, such as visiting hours, dinnertime, and fatigue that potentially inhibited the consistency of the results.
While moving on to a study with more therapy and a larger cross section of patients is a bit of an overwhelming task at this point, Frey says getting a peer-reviewed study published was a first step in the right direction.
“We’d like to create a larger study with a larger sample and incorporate dogs into regular therapy throughout the day and compare them with a control group,” Frey says. “In order to do this, we’d need a regular on-call dog team, and that’s rather difficult to arrange.”
Illinois horse slaughterhouse still operating
The recently passed state law banning the import or export of horsemeat for human consumption has been appealed, allowing the Cavel International horse slaughterhouse in DeKalb to reopen for operation. When the facility was shut down in June, the Federal District Court would not allow the slaughterhouse to remain open while Cavel appealed the law, but the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago granted the company permission to operate while the case is being resolved. The slaughterhouse is currently the only facility in the country that is producing horsemeat for human consumption.
Dan Parmer passes away
Dr. Dan G. Parmer, head of the Cook County Animal and Rabies Control Department, passed away on Friday, Aug. 3, due to complications from prostate cancer. Since he began working with the department in 1988, he pushed hard to require microchips in most pets and successfully spearheaded a campaign to require dogs who use Chicago dog parks to have permits. Parmer previously served as the City of Chicago’s chief veterinarian and worked as a consultant to the Chicago Department of Health. He received numerous awards and recognition for his dedication to animal welfare and food safety. Parmer received his veterinary degree from Auburn University and ran private practices around the Chicagoland area before going to work for the City of Chicago.
Bike ride to tour local shelters
For the past 14 years, Kathy Schubert has been organizing bike rides for humans and their dogs, in celebration of Joey, her Miniature Schnauzer’s birthday. Past rides have included tours of local dog parks, and last year, Schubert hosted a Bark Mitzvah tour of Chicago area temples. In honor of Joey’s 14th birthday, Schubert has organized a bike tour of area shelters, which will travel as far south as the Anti-Cruelty Society on Grand Avenue and as far north as Evanston. The tour will also include a stop at a restaurant that allows dogs to sit outside.
Schubert has been bringing Joey along on rides since before her first birthday, and ever since then, she logs about 2,000 miles per year, all around the country.
Schubert requires that all humans wear a helmet, but it is optional for dogs. For more information about the ride click here.
Amending Cook County animal laws would benefit feral cat caretakers
Members of the animal community are working to revise portions of the animal ordinance in Cook County in order to address the increasing feral cat problem. The current ordinance, which states that guardians are not allowed to let their animals roam unleashed, has created problems for local residents involved in Trap-Neuter-Return efforts. Under the current ordinance, if someone cares for a feral animal, they risk being ticketed by an Animal Care and Control officer.
“In [the ordinance’s] desired purpose, it makes perfect sense,” says Cherie Travis, founder of PACT Humane Society. Travis has been spearheading changes to the current law to create a feral cat ordinance that would be structured in three tiers: Cook County Animal Control would remain an authority on animal-related issues. Below them would be a layer of shelters, designated as sponsors, who would oversee the third tier which consists of the feral cat caregivers. Shelters would be responsible for making sure feral cat caregivers are properly trained, educated, and are following instructions to make sure the cats are given proper care.
Travis says she hopes the ordinance, if passed, will change the dynamic between citizens and Animal Care and Control. “Most people are not wanting to put themselves in a position where they will be taken to court,” she says. “But we believe an army of volunteers working on their time with their resources is a much better option. Cook County has six animal control wardens, and it’s just not enough to curb the [feral cat] problem.”
The Cook County board is making final changes to the ordinance. It is expected to be introduced in mid-to-late August.
