Tails in the news
Humane society officer rescues man from burning car
As a law enforcement officer for the Washington Humane Society (WHS), Chris Schindler rescues animals from dangerous situations on a regular basis. It is much more infrequent, however, that he has the chance to save the life of fellow human.
On June 25, Schindler was transporting a dog for WHS when a white van traveling down New Hampshire Avenue a few cars ahead of him crashed into a tree and burst into flames. While other drivers ignored the crash, Schindler pulled his vehicle to the side of the road and rushed to help the man.
When Schindler arrived at the van, the doors were smashed in, preventing him from opening them. The man inside was tangled in his seatbelt and couldn’t get out. Schindler was able to reach inside, free the man from the seatbelt, and then pull him out through the small front driver’s side window of the van, feet first. At this point another bystander stepped in to help. As he and Schindler pulled the crash victim from the van, it exploded behind them.
“I just did what felt right—I saw a citizen in trouble and my instincts were to react by taking action,” says Schindler. “You don’t really think much in emergency situations like that—I guess I’m used to being in dangerous circumstances, so the fire didn’t intimidate me.” After staying with the man until the fire department and police arrived, Schindler
carried on with his duties for WHS, working late into the night.
Brushes with Greatness event benefits Washington
Humane Society
In the mood for a pawdicure? Check out the Saks Fifth Avenue “Brushes with Greatness” event on Sept. 15 to benefit the Washington Humane Society. From 1-5 pm, guests can enjoy makeovers, cocktails, music, and more with their favorite four-legged friends. Highlights include relaxing at the Yappy Hour Café and enjoying barista-brewed drinks while pooches chow down on gourmet dog treats. There will be raffle drawings every thirty minutes; prizes include more than $5,000 in cosmetics merchandise. For more information visit WashHumane.org.
Spotlight on: Colleen Pelar
Nineteen million American households are shared by children and dogs. Colleen Pelar, a certified dog trainer and consultant and co-owner of All About Dogs, LLC in Woodbridge, Virginia, was alternately frustrated by the scarcity of guidance offered to parents and enraged by the unrealistic—and sometimes dangerous—advice given in the few books that addressed kids and dogs. Living with Kids and Dogs...Without Losing Your Mind is her attempt to help remedy the situation. Tails spoke to her about her book and asked her for advice on living peacefully with children and canines under the same roof.
Where did you get the inspiration to write your book?
The book was born largely of frustration. Clients often asked me to recommend a good kids-and-dogs book. There was really only one choice, and it had a lot of things in it that made me uncomfortable. I couldn’t in good conscience recommend that book without worrying that the parents might inadvertently make things worse instead of better by following the advice.
Everyday for the last four or five years, I have gotten daily Google reports of dog bite stories. These kept me motivated because the same kinds of mistakes keep happening and children keep getting bitten by dogs. Finally I realized that I needed to write a book to help parents successfully juggle the needs of kids and dogs.
What should a parent know before adopting a dog if they have young children in the house?
They need to know that supervising kids and dogs is really hard. Once the kids are old enough to walk, an adult cannot see every single interaction between two children and one dog. There are too many bodies moving in different directions. So, if the family doesn’t already have a dog, it might be wise to wait until the youngest child is 5 or 6 [years old] before getting one. Then the kids will be a little older and will have a better understanding of how to be fair and kind to a dog.
If the parents can’t live without a dog—and some of us can’t—then it’s vital to choose a very social, very tolerant dog that does not growl over food or toys and is not easily startled. Life with kids is hectic, and the best family dogs love kids and all the excitement they bring. These dogs are out there, but you’ll have to look carefully for them. Talk to a dog trainer or shelter or rescue coordinator to help you identify the best dogs for a family with kids.
What are some common problems families with both children and dogs face?
The most common problem is miscommunication between the people and the dog. Parents tend to look only at their child’s intentions when deciding if an interaction is acceptable, but that’s not the best strategy. If a child is trying to be kind by hugging a dog and the dog feels trapped and anxious (as most dogs do during hugs), the parent should intervene and suggest an alternative way of showing affection. But far too often, children with good intentions are allowed to follow dogs around, hug them, dress them up, or close them into bedrooms for play sessions.
Many children are afraid of dogs. Can you suggest some ways to help alleviate this fear?
Kids are afraid for two reasons: They don’t know what the dog will do and find the unpredictability worrisome or they’ve been told, ‘Be nice to the dog or he’ll bite you.’ So we need to teach them that it is unlikely that a dog will bite someone who can communicate with them, and by teaching the kids how to communicate with dogs, we eliminate a lot of the unpredictability as well.
