Celebrate Smart this 4th: Fireworks, Veterans, Dogs and PTSD
In America, parades, fireworks, food and fun-filled gatherings on the 4th of July are a time-honored tradition. For some Americans, particularly combat veterans, Independence Day is anything but fun. When deciding how to celebrate America's birthday this year, keep our veterans and active military members in mind.
Help Friends and Family Understand: It’s PTSD Awareness Day
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a disorder that has found its way into the mainstream media quite a bit recently. While we hear about soldiers returning from war with PTSD the most, PTSD can affect anyone who’s undergone a traumatic event, such as rape, a severe car accident, abuse or neglect.
20 Of The Best (or Worst) Funny (and Clean) Dad Jokes for Father’s Day!
We wish the Happiest Father's Day to our Dads, Step-Dads, Grandpas, Great Grandpas, Great Great Grandpas, Great Great Great Grandpas, Dog Dads — and everyone else who maybe isn't a technically dad but steps up and cares and loves somebody as if they were. Well done, sir. Keep it up. What better way to celebrate than with a curated collection of twenty of the best (or worst) funny (and clean) dad jokes! \ Happy Father's Day!
Ultimate Guide to Keeping Your Service Dog Safe This Halloween
Halloween 2013 is tomorrow and with it comes fall festivals, parties and trick-or-treating. While Halloween events are fun and exciting for the entire family, this most spooky of nights also carries many dangers, particularly for four-legged pack members. Before heading out to celebrate Halloween 2013, review our list of precautions to learn how to keep you and your Service Dog safe and your night of frights as trouble-free as possible.
San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department to Host USAR Canine Training Event
Are you looking for training for your search dog in a real USAR environment? Look no further than the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department Search Dog Team's upcoming Urban Search and Rescue K9 training event and fundraiser, Dia de los Perros. The event is scheduled for on October 26th, 2019, at the historic George Air Force Base in Adelanto, California. The USAR training event will provide training opportunities for both live find search dogs and human remains detection K9s. Teams will rotate between 6 stations with multiple search problems each. Stations include a haunted hospital, ruined buildings, and burned-out neighborhoods, plus other unique search and rescue K9 training opportunities. The SBSD Search Dog Team website sums up the training locations perfectly: The Historic George Air Force Base is located on registries of abandoned places, and features multiple office buildings, base housing (both apartments and neighborhoods of houses), barracks, and supporting clinics and a hospital, all in a ruined environment closely approximating an actual disaster scenario. The two-story hospital plus basement is rumored to be haunted and is a treasure trove of hiding places for dog training. Housing structures are both (somewhat) intact or burned and completely ruined, allowing dogs to train in multiple types of scent conditions. The SBSD Search Dog Team provides subjects to hide and human remains source. They'll also coordinate the search problems and hope to provide additional educational stations. Only 30 teams are allowed to participate, although auditor spots are available. The event will run from 8 am to 5 pm with lunch included. Search Dog teams wishing to participate in the first annual Dia de los Perros Search and Rescue K9 training event should contact Julie Purcell via email at jkirkpurcell at sbsar dot org. Include the following information when emailing: Your Name Agency Affiliation Discipline (Live Find or HRD) Contact Email Contact Phone number Contact Mailing Address
Keeping your Service or Working Dog Safe and Happy Over the 4th of July
In America, the 4th of July is a day full of celebration. With cookouts, parades, sparklers, crowds, fireworks, noise, activity, events and chaos galore, Independence Day can be difficult not only for pets, but also for working K-9s, Service Dogs, and their handlers. Before joining a holiday celebration with your canine partner, here are some points to consider.
Midterm Elections 2018: Service Dogs at the Polls
The midterm elections are tomorrow, November 6th, 2018, and it's time to start making plans about when, where, and how you're going to vote. For voters with an Assistance Animal, there are even more considerations. Read on to learn more about making your trip to the polls with your Service Dog smooth and uneventful. First things first, make sure you've got all of your voting logistics handled. The process for preparing to vote and for voting can be different in every state, but in general, you'll need to: Determine your Eligibility -- Federal U.S. law mandates that all U.S. citizens 18 or older, even if they turned 18 on the day of the election, are eligible to vote. State laws vary and may or may not exclude felons and incarcerated persons from voting. No one can be denied their right to vote based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, level of education, disability, employment status or other factors, excluding citizenship, age and criminality. Check the Voter Registration Deadline -- each state has differing deadlines for when you must be registered to vote in the upcoming November 8th election. Some states have their cutoff in mid October, and others allow you to register through the first couple days of November. This article will help you easily determine your state's voter registration deadline. Register to Vote -- each state has different requirements, but you can search for your state's requirements here, as well as find everything you'll need to complete registration in your state. Some states will even let you register completely online! If you don't want to register online, you can complete your voter registration at your local DMV. Complete your registration early, as there are deadlines that must be met in order for you to participate in the upcoming presidential election. Check Your Status -- a couple weeks after registering to vote, verify your status online if you haven't received your Voter Registration Card in the mail. Find Your Polling Location -- Every town/city (potentially county) provides one or more polling locations. Look up your polling location online, by calling your city hall or by contacting your local election board. Find the address and make sure you know how to get to the polls. Double check their hours of operation, too, so you can ensure you can be there at the proper times. Make sure to write down the name, location and hours
Registration For Free 2018 ACVO/StokesRx National Service Animal Eye Exam Begins in April
For the 11th year in a row, the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and StokesRX are partnering to provide FREE eye exams to eligible Assistance Animals, Service Dogs, and Working Dogs.
Howly Jowly 2017: Service Dog Gear Giveaway
We're happy to announce the 4th annual Howly Jowly Service Dog Gift Giveaway! During this event, we seek to give back to the Service Dog community by gifting books, treats, training gear, supplies or other donor-provided items to a winning team.
The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse, Service Dogs, and You
Everyone is talking about the upcoming eclipse, but for many people, there are lots of questions left unanswered. What’s going to happen during the eclipse? How can you prepare for the eclipse? Are there any special considerations for people with a disability? How will the eclipse affect your Service Dog? Does your location alter the type of planning you should do? Learn the answers to all of these questions and more.