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Summer 2011
THE SAM SIMONFOUNDATION NEWS
“Saving the lives of dogs to enrich the lives of people”
Harpo and his family get the help they needed. Our free Mobile Clinic performed surgery to remove his pain ridden eyes.
Tracey and Blaze. Our first PTSD Service Dog partners.
The Sam Simon Founda-tion launched its Service Dog program in response to the growing need of veter-ans coping with PTSD as a
result of the Iraq/Afghanistan con-flict. A Service Dog is not a cure for PTSD, but whose skills and compan-ionship can be an aid for managing the symptoms and promoting well-being. Other tasks we may train for include assistance with hearing loss, TBI (traumatic brain injury), and moderate physical limitations due to injury.
What’s Inside!• Hearing Dogs 1• Service Dogs 2• Free Mobile Clinic 3 • Health 4• Editorial 5• Career Change Dogs 6 & 7• Follow-Up 8• Pet Visitation 8• Memorial 9• Highlights 10• Keeping In Touch 11• Ask Gerty 12• Puppy Puzzles 13• This & That 14
Kyra Sundance is coming back!! She got a chance to work with a few of your dogs last year, now get ready to watch her dogs in action! This acrobatic stunt show has been seen on The Tonight Show, Ellen and ET! Kyra, an International best selling author, just released her new book “Do more with your Dog”. Don’t miss a chance to win a book!
October 29th 10AM-1PM
It’s time to mark your calendars and plan those
costumes forHowl-O-Ween 2011!!
Hearing DogsGigi, a 3 year old terrier mix, has become the 3rd Hearing Dog for Jack S. of Santa Monica. Gigi was a happy little girl from the moment we saw her. She was full of energy and couldn’t get enough attention! She was easy to motivate with toys and treats and proved to be a real natural with her sound training. With an easy going but spunky personality, she seemed the perfect fit for Jack and Maria and has kept them busy with her tireless love of fetch the toy.
“… last night it was Christmas time at our home, fam-ily members came with gifts for Gigi and her new parents, Jack and Maria. There are times, such as last night, when I count my blessing, this little dog is loved and has more than many children, but she is so sweet and she too at one time was in the streets of Ventura, I just hope that some of the little children, who do not have a good home, will find one as Gigi did. She is a joy!”—Maria S.
Abby is Neva Moekel’s second Hearing Dog. A 2 year old Puggle, Abby was a charmer and a bit head strong when she was rescued from a local shel-ter. She picked up her training quickly because her inner beagle was easily motivated by the tid bits she received.
Finding the right match for Abby was not hard as Neva seemed to be the perfect fit! Alerting Neva to the door-bell was most important but she also practices other sounds such as when the smoke alarm sounds, the oven timer goes off and the Video Relay phone rings.
“She is a lot of company, she loves me now and wants my attention. Truly a bond.My co-workers gave me a surprised puppy shower for Abby. It was adorable! I called my workers her uncles and aunts.”
—Neva Moekel
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Service Dogs
Tracey is our first recipient of a Service Dog for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We rescued Blaze, a Golden Retriever, from the Ventura County Animal Shelter. Blaze was taught to “cover me”, where he stands in front of Tracey creating a boundary between her and other people; “watch my back”, where he positions himself fac-ing backward; and “balance” which she relies on if she feels she is losing her balance. He can also fetch her cell phone and other object she drops. After nearly a year of training, he is now with Tracey and together they are advocating for other veterans.
PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can develop after exposure to any events that result in psychological trauma. Studies show that 1 in 5 veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have PTSD. Over
the last 7 years, an estimated 20% or over 300,000 veterans has PTSD. Our dogs are specially selected from local shelters based on their temperament and breed. Most of our Service Dogs will be retrievers or retriever types.
It is possible to conquer the past and create the future; the first step is choosing to take the journey.
“Blaze has been charming everyone he comes into contact with & has fit into our family nicely. He definitely provides a grounding presence when I wake up startled in the middle of the night, & his goofy de-meanor keeps both me & Maggie laughing. If you were to ask me specifically what tan-gible things Blaze does for me, I can rattle off the things that the trainers have taught him to do to help me. But it’s more than that. We’re both helping each other interact with the world outside our doorstep. That unconditional love that he’s showing me pushes me to go outside my comfort zone to make myself a better person & help others.”
Tracey Blaze provides balance support for Tracey.
“Watch my Back” is a skill taught to provide a sense of security.
Mobile Clinic
The Olinger family was devastated last May when they found out that their be-loved dog, Harpo, had developed diabetes at the young age of four. To control the disease, they immediately began administering insulin injections twice a day. However, despite their care, Harpo soon developed cataracts, an ailment that often accompanies diabetes in dogs. Sadly, and even worse, glaucoma then developed in both of his eyes, causing Harpo a great deal of pain.
As the glaucoma progressed, so did Harpo’s pain. The condition culminated the day after Thanksgiving, when the Olinger family realized that Harpo had be-come completely blind. At this point, the family had only two options: to have both eyes removed in an effort to make him more comfortable, or to mercifully release him from his pain by putting him to sleep. On one hand, this little dog was so young, and meant everything to their children. But on the other hand, the struggling family had absolutely no way to afford the surgery that would restore Harpo’s quality of life. Harpo was in severe physical pain, and his family was in agony over the thought of losing him.
Desperate and bereaved, the family searched the internet for other options. They eventually stumbled upon The Sam Simon Foundation’s website, and two days before the end of the year, e-mailed a desperate plea to our mobile clinic.Five days later, Harpo came in our clinic, and had the first of two surgeries. With the more painful of the two eyes removed, he immediately felt better. So much better, in fact, that when he came back four weeks later for his second surgery, it was determined to be unnecessary at that time.
As a result of his first surgery, Harpo was able to keep his remaining eye for an additional five months, until the pressure in that eye built up to a painful level and had to be removed as well. And, of course, the surgery was again performed in The Sam Simon Foundation’s mobile veterinary clinic.
Today, despite having lost both eyes, Harpo is living a happy and pain-free life. His family has made certain modifications to the house, including put-ting a fence around the swimming pool, and Harpo is adjusting beautifully. Although he still sometimes bumps into things when he gets excited, he now easily navigates his way throughout the house, knows exactly where the one step they have is, and is adjusting to being walked in new environments. Harpo is a lucky little guy to have such a wonderful family who was willing to do anything to save him.
Harpo
Our Mobile Clinic schedule is: Every Monday, we have our FSC (Free Surgery Clinic). Tuesdays are general spay/neuter and pre-exams for the following week’s FSC. Thursdays are County of L.A. spay/neuter.
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HealthSenior Dogs
So your companion seems to be slowing down a little more at the end of those fun all day weekend hikes you take together. Maybe a little stiff after chasing that elusive tennis ball on an afternoon walk on the beach? Unfortunate-ly, time seems to march a little faster for our four-footed canine buds than for us. Still, there are many things we can do to help keep the “Golden Years” happy and active. For those with young dogs, much of what we do when they are young such as feeding a premium food, appropriate exercise, keeping their environment safe ( at home and on walks), annual Vet visits, give our puppies a big jump on having a long and healthy life. There are many books and articles that have very helpful information. Just Google “senior canine health” and find out!
My long time companion, Keno is beginning to enter that stage of his life. He has always been an active, healthy dog and it’s my intention to keep him that way as long as possible. Dogs have different nutritional needs as they get older, just as we do. They require fewer calories due to a slower lifestyle along with an increase in protein and possibly fiber to help things along. Many excellent premium brands are including a senior formula in their lines. Evo, Innova and California Natural are just a few outstanding companies offering senior formulas for a balanced diet that focuses on their special needs. The slightly higher costs of these foods are offset by the healthier dog in the long run.
If you have hardwood or tile flooring, put down soft, thick bedding for sleeping. Even carpet can be too hard if your dog suffers from hip dysplasia or arthritis. Everything from memory foam to egg crate mattresses are available to make the nap times comfort-able. As their joints get stiffer, those slick floors become more and more difficult to ma-neuver. Vinyl backed, non-slip rugs give a bit more traction to get their legs under them.
Don’t skimp on regular dental cleanings. The teeth are extremely important in the over-all health of your dog. Since side-effects of anesthesia increase with age, many Vets are offering Anesthesia Free teeth cleaning options for our older dogs. Periodontal disease has been found to increase the likelihood of diseases affecting the heart, kidneys, liver and brain so don’t forget those pearly whites!
Even though my Keno is getting a bit more sedentary, he still enjoys using his Border Collie brain to figure out just where that bit of treat is. There are many toys such as the buster cube, molecuball and canine genius that will keep their minds stimulated but not involve heavy physical play.
There are lots of things we can do to help keep our oldsters comfortable, healthy and happy in the senior years. I can’t cover it all here. They have given us so much in their youth, it’s only fair we continue to give our four-footed partners the best we can as they mature. So don’t stop here and email Gerty ([email protected]).
Kim Meinhardt and Keno
Editorial "How we bear to give them away"
People often ask us how we can bear to give away these dogs that we've come to love so much. Frequently someone will say, "I could never do what you do because I love the dogs too much". I'm sure they don't mean to be offensive when they say that, but it does imply that we don't love the dogs as much as they do. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every single dog we lay our hands on, works their way deep into our hearts. And every time they leave, they take a piece of our hearts with them.
When we get the dogs they are usually filthy (yes, at times mangy), smelly, and usually quite ill-mannered. Still, we bring them into our homes and hearts; well, after a good bathing anyway. Like a diamond in the rough, we see the gem underneath and make it our life's mission to teach them what they need to know so they can find their 'forever home'.
When the time comes to start looking for their new home, we go to great lengths to make sure we are finding the most compatible home for each dog. Occasionally we have to turn down applications because, in our professional opinion, the match isn't right. We mean no offense. We only want to ensure that people get the dog that will benefit them, and to prevent the dog from being returned to us. Every time a dog is 're-homed', it changes who that dog was. Abandonment affects dogs much the way it affects people. We are their advocate and we will do everything we can to protect them from physical and emotional turmoil.
So, what is the answer to that most frequently asked question...'how can we bear to give away these dogs that we've come to love so much'? It's the pictures, and the letters and the emails. Every time someone who has adopted a dog from us takes a little time to send us an update, it feeds our souls and gives us the push we need to keep going.
We remember the sad, scared, dirty little dog and then we see a picture of a happy, healthy, well adjusted family member and nothing, truly nothing, rewards us more. When we see that sparkle in their eyes, and the smiles on the faces of their families, we know why we're here and why we're doing what we do. And when we read about how well they are doing, it propels us to go to the shelter and get another dirty, smelly, ill-mannered dog and start the process all over again. We've seen the happily ever after and we can't wait to make it happen all over again.
So, thanks for keeping in touch! (hint, hint) ;-)
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Career Change DogsOur professional trainers carefully select dogs from animal shelters by testing them for personality, health and intelligence. Dogs not interested in becoming Hearing Dogs are adopted into loving ‘forever’ homes.
Scamp Tanner Yogi
Ditto BoBo Bandit
Casper Oliver Precious
Career Change Dogs
Arrow Dante Jacob
Kokua Lady Muffin
Ollie Prince Sammy
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In Loving Memory
Herman
SEPARATE LIFETIMES
We who choose to surround ourselveswith lives even more temporary than ourown, live within a fragile circle;easily and often breached.Unable to accept its awful gaps,we would still live no other way.We cherish memory as the onlycertain immortality, never fullyunderstanding the necessary plan....
--- Irving Townsend ---“The Once Again Prince”
Follow-Up
Pet Visitation
We offer support for anyone who receives a dog from our Foundation. Whether it be an email, a phone call, or an in-home visit. Our goal is for every dog to find their ‘forever home’ and for each person or family to receive the companionship that they were looking for.
We recently followed up with Chip and Dino, two Certified dogs living in Northern CA. They were both given an evaluation of their skills in public which they passed with flying colors! Both Dino and Chip accompany their person to a work place as well as a variety of places such as restaurants & shopping areas.
Chip, aka “Chipper Chug” and ClaudiaTrio, aka “Dino” and Lisa
Our dogs love their weekly visits with residents in Assisted Living homes. The mutual affection is obvious and both dogs and humans benefit greatly.
Nemo is a Terrier Mix we recently adopted for our Pet Visitation Program. His front right leg is severely derformed and unusable. He gets around just fine regardless and loves visiting people in Assisted Living homes.
Boomer is a Certified Hearing Dog. Through no fault of his own, he was returned to us. While waiting for his new placement, he tags along on our visits and spreads his social charm.
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Highlights
A Hearing Dog in public places…
When we certify a dog for public, we are saying that each dog has received at least 20 or more hours of training that includes socialization and obedience in a public setting such as a department or grocery store. Because a Hearing Dog is rewarded for responding to specific household sounds, they are naturally attentive to everyday sounds out in public such as cars driving by, people approaching and sudden sounds. These sounds are something a person with hearing would naturally recognize or acknowledge. For some deaf or hard of hearing people, having a Hearing Dog they can watch provides that same awareness.
AlexAlex is a 2 year old German Short Haired Pointer that was rescued from isolation in a yard. He was being fed and looked after by a neighbor (and father to one of the foundation trainers) who also bought him a few comfort items. But for this very social dog, he was looking at a life of uncertainty. Fortunately, the owners eventually gave ownership of Alex to the foundation and thus began his new life. After a month of learning how to live with us as a house dog, he was adopted by a very caring and compassionate family. Here is what they say…
“We are soon approaching our 6 months of having Alex, and wanted to drop you a note and some fresh photos mostly from today which I took in order to share this with you... Well, you won’t be surprised that Alex has completely transformed-- it is unbelievable. Still super sweet and fun loving, but his posture is so relaxed and he is so open and at ease at home you can’t imagine this dog was a pacer. I guess with exercise and lots of affection and a few good months and he is opening up, and turns out his favorite activity is now… Sleeping! Who knew? He and Billy have a great routine going…we can’t believe this dog was left to live in the backyard. He is the most cuddly and affectionate dog and it breaks my heart to think of him being left alone outside. Thanks for saving him!!!”
Before
Keeping In Touch
“Thank you again. Charley is still wonderful. He has gone with us to Tempe and Lake Tahoe and visiting family all over the state since I have written you. The comment I hear most when I tell people you got him from the shelter is, “How could anyone give that dog up?” We took him on lots of runs when we were training for a 1/2 marathon, we have to carry a collapsible water bowl. I think running helps his knee, he
doesn’t limp when he is running and his hindquarters are really strong.
Once again, we cannot thank you enough. We will try to get down for the Howloween event this year so you can see him.” Kathryn P. and Larry S.
“We are so lucky to have adopted Ducky...he KNOWS when it's time to take the kids
to school and pick them up. He LOVES car
rides, he goes everywhere!!”
Trisha O.
Lori, We love Jake sooooo
much & he gives us so
much more to our lives,
we’d always do the best
for him and I think we
are on the right track.
A few months ago I
bought him a pet stroller
cause he does like our
walks. He can’t walk as
far as Barney , so after
awhile he goes in the
stroller & enjoys being out & about! He has
made so many friends on our walks, human &
canine & all are glad to see him.
We are so thankful you rescued him, so we
were able to give him a forever home. We re-
ally love the older dogs, they need the love &
care we are willingly glad to give.
Barbara
“Oliver”He is so happy. And so am I!
~ Kelly B.
“Brandi and I wanted to touch base since it’s been ages. We are in Portland working on the TV series Leverage. Brandi and I were playing ball and she jumped off a bench and landed yelping. She had surgery on Friday for a cruciated ligament. Her Mom is having a tough time caring for her post surgery since she won’t pee. I’m fortunate I have a support team of Vet friends. ... The Portland Vet is his friend who patented a device for this surgery. I understand there are two types and we opted for a surgery which may take less recovery time. ... I got a green buggy for our walks. She still likes to get out!”
Lisa
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Ask Gerty...Dear Gerty,
I have a dog that is timid and shy. She is very shy when visitors come into the house and timid out on our walks or when I take her places. I would love to see her feel more confident. Do you have any suggestions?
Hopeful in L.A.
Dear Hopeful,
Shy and timid dogs can generally learn to become more confident as some of this behavior may have been learned and some may be genetic. The following are suggestions that can to help your dog and are good for any dog:
• Teach your dog a “Watch” command. Teaching your dog to look up at your face will give her a boost of confidence and prepare her for other types of learning.
• Teach your dog a trick. You can use your dog’s meal and teach her to work for the kibble by hand feeding a few kibbles at a time as she learns a trick.
• Teach others how to pet your dog. A timid dog will usually crouch and lower her head when being petted because people generally reach for a dog’s head. When others are petting your dog, have them reach for her chest or chin instead of her head. This will be less intimidating and encour-age a timid dog to hold her head up and become more confident with pets.
• Set up an obstacle course for your dog. There are agility kits for fun that you can purchase through a variety of online stores. Teaching your dog to move through and on top of obstacles is a fun way to give her more confi-dence.
If your dog is shy with people, ask visitors to your home to avoid eye contact and essentially ignore your dog. Once your dog realizes that the visitors are not seeking her attention, she will feel more confident to approach on her own and may even sniff your visitor. After sev-eral interactions like this from different people, you may notice your dog soliciting attention from the guest(s). It won’t take long before your dog is comfortable and enjoys attention from new people.
Best always,
Gerty
Puppy Puzzles“Name That Dog!...”
Unscramble the letters to reveal each of these dogs’ names:
SEJO OURAGEC ZABLE LIVE
RAKLY NANTER MAMYS ACERIG
V B F C S G I Z P C A T W O W L P A WE H S A M T A K E I T E V A E L Q P IS A O D O L S C G C O V E R M E T P TT N U O K V H O D H L A N U C F J L SA S N H E R E O U E W P B K U N D S TY W K O A N A N N C M Q H N U E F O AT P Y R L S R A T K T U A O W P G R ED O L K A T I P B I L R G D N O A R RF G U L R H N K S T M A A M Q E D Y TJ U E C M G G P J O I E S J A C V E RB I R D H I D A Z U L K R U T B A N GF R S P B L O C K T I E V A E L E V IH M I N E P G O D E C I V R E S B O O
WORD SEARCH VESTOVENTIMERHEARINGDOGTREATSSMOKEALARMSERVICEDOGNUDGECHECKITOUTSITDOWNTAKEITLEAVEITLIGHTSOPENHERECOVERMESTAYTOUCHPHONEPAW
“Name That Dog” Answers: “Name that Dog”1=Jose2=Courage3=Blaze
4=Levi5=Karly6=Tanner7=Sammy8=Gracie
CRYPTOGRAMDecipher the secret code to figure out this statement” Hint = H is e and W is t
“Vdylqj wkh olyhv ri grjv
wr hqulfk wkh olyhv ri shrsoh”
“______ ___ _____________ ______ ___ _____ __ ______”
Cryptogram answer is on the front cover.
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www.samsimonfoundation.org
Gracie Blaze Gerty
Teena
Chumley
Deliliah
Levi
Elsa
This & That
Become a fan of The Sam Simon Foundation on ‘facebook’. We post pictures and videos of our dogs and share stories about their pasts and hopes for their future. It’s also a great way to make connections with other members of the animal loving community.
We have a new rating system for anything dog related that we think deserves a “4 paws up”. These products get the most use on a regular basis. Check ‘em out! Most can be found at your local pet store.
• Cotton throw pads sold on petedge.com These versatile heavy pads are excellent for the car, couch or anywhere that you need something with padding and can provide comfort.
• Kirkland dog beds sold at Costco. We can’t seem to have enough of these large and inexpensive beds. We love that the bed covers can be washed and the dogs (especially the small ones) enjoy curl-ing up in the middle to snuggle in.
• Chicken jerky tenders sold at any pet store including Costco. This is 100% chicken that has been dried to resemble jerky and has become a daily bedtime treat!
4 PAWS UP
“Until Tuesday”‘A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him’By Fmr. Captain Luis Carlos Montalvan with Bret Witter
This book gives great insight into the life of a com-bat veteran with PTSD and the bond that develops between him and his service dog. And the best part is that nobody dies in the end! Our new twitter account is:
@ssfoundation1. Please follow us and keep up with what’s new!
Our first PTSD Service Dog was featured on Memorial Day in The Daily News. The photographer for this story, Hans Gutknecht, followed Blaze’s training for 8 months. Check out the online story and pictures!
http://lang.dailynews.com/socal/editorial/blaze2/blaze.html
