Month: July 2019

Why Was the PAWS Act of 2019 Denied? Again?

During the week of July 22, the House Veterans Affairs Committee denied support of the PAWS Act of 2019, HB3103. Again. This is another blow to service members getting the PTSD treatment that some of them desperately need: a service dog. For years, K9s For Warriors, a Ponte Vedra organization, has pushed to get the PAWS (Puppies Assisting Wounded Service Members) Act passed. There is published scientific research that proves service dogs work. We are losing 20 veterans a day to suicide. What are you waiting for, members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee?
K9s For Warriors CEO, Rory Diamond, said, in response to the latest news: “For the last three years we’ve been pushing PAWS because the VA refuses to acknowledge what we all know: Service Dogs are dramatically improving the lives of disabled veterans suffering from PTSD. Most importantly, these dogs are helping keep our heroes alive. Yet, each year we go and meet with the House Veterans Affairs Committee staff, and each year they find a new way to say “No.” This past week, we sat down with the Majority and Minority staff and, again, they said “No.” No to Service Dogs for veterans with PTSD. No to our mountain of evidence that these dogs are saving lives. Instead, they told us to wait. Wait until 2020 or 2021 until after the VA completes a study to tell us what we already know. The VA has spent tens of millions of dollars and over ten years “studying” what one of the 550 K9s For Warrior graduates can tell you in ten seconds: the dogs work. We can’t afford to wait any longer. We are losing at least 20 veterans a day to suicide.”
Joe and Lilly, K9s For Warriors Graduates.
Adam and Blaze, K9s For Warriors Graduates.

Members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, please look at these two photographs. Would you deny that Lily, a service dog, helped save Joe’s life? Would you deny the treatment that Blaze, a service dog, is providing for Adam? And, by the way, most of the dogs trained by K9s For Warriors as service dogs, were previously shelter dogs. Think about that.

The dogs are trained, then matched with a veteran in need. The team then goes through a training program. All of this is provided at no cost to the veteran. K9s For Warriors depends on corporate sponsorships and donations from the caring public.
THE NEW BARKER is asking its readers to please contact your local state representatives. Type in your zip code and your representatives will be displayed. Here is a sample letter you may want to consider sending to you representatives:
Hello Mr./Mrs. (representative’s name),

I’m writing to voice my support of the Puppies Assisting Wounded Service Members (PAWS) Act, H.B. 3103.

It was introduced by Congressman John Rutherford on June 5th, but was halted by the House Veterans Affairs Committee. With more than 20 veterans a day dying by suicide, it simply doesn’t make sense that the committee tasked with protecting them denies what is now proven to be a life-saving option to mitigate their PTSD: service dogs. Service dog organizations like K9s For Warriors have already scientifically proven that service dogs are highly successful in recovery of PTSD and Military Sexual Trauma, yet the VA healthcare system still refuses to recognize this. We must do more to save the lives and honor the sacrifice of our military heroes.

Service dogs help veterans heal. When they heal, their families heal, and they return to their communities as productive citizens, pursuing higher education and re-entering the workforce, rather than living in isolation, or worse, seeing suicide as the only way out. However, high quality service dogs come at a high price, one which most veterans could never afford on their own. The average cost of a service dog is $27,000.

Medication is not always the answer. The servicemen and women who voluntarily fought for our freedom should not have to suffer even more after their service because they can’t afford the treatment that is best for them. Please support this life-saving initiative that will give veterans the option of choosing a service dog to heal from their invisible wounds. Please vote “Yes.” Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

(Your name)

Addressing The Dog Food Issue.

This week, we’re in receipt of and reviewing another round of press releases about the possible correlation between feeding our dogs a grain-free diet and dilated cariomyopathy (DCM). In this set of press releases, the FDA released a cautionary list of grain free diets – based on their initial, inconclusive findings, thus far. The FDA report states that currently they cannot find a link between diet and DCM, but they wanted the public to know which grain-free foods the dogs diagnosed with DCM were eating. Important to note: the list is not a recall.

I am not a dietician or nutritionist. We have worked with our family veterinarian and with guidance, have experimented with various brands of dog food to find the right combination for our dogs. If you are concerned about the latest FDA reports, please consult first with your veterinarian before making any diet changes.

Many small, independent pet supply businesses research the products they sell before stocking the items. Naturally, this latest information is a great cause of concern for them as well, not only for the health and well-being of their customers’ pets (and their own, for that matter), but also for their bottom line . In this day of the internet and the massive amount of information we’re able to retrieve, be sure you read with an open mind. Be sure you read beyond the headlines; read the entire article. Discuss your concerns and findings with your veterinarian.

There have been some good points made from owners of independent pet supply businesses and we’d like to share some of them with you, here in one spot, The New Barker blog. Each post is long, however, each one includes some good food for thought (pun intended).

An excerpt from HealthePets Market, out of Jupiter, FL: “Out of the 77,000,000+ registered dogs in the United States a total of 524 dogs diagnosed with DCM ate grain-free diets. Of the 524 cases, a large percentage of the dogs diagnosed with DCM were breeds geneticially predisposed to the illness.”

Here is the link to the full post response from HealthePets Market. Here is the link to the full post response from Dog Krazy, Fredericksburg, VA. Here is the link to the full post response from The Green Spot, Omaha, NE. Here is the link to the full post response from All For The Pet, Severna Park, MD. And here is a 10 minute video from Tammy Sue Vasquez, co-owner of BarkLife Market and More, Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg, FL.

Is your dog healthy and doing well on his/her current diet? Don’t panic, but do consult with your veterinarian with any concerns.