Month: May 2007

Konrad Feldmann got Bingo, his canine companion from Canine Companions For Independence, six months ago. But due to his limited mobility, Konrad can’t throw a ball for Bingo and return the favor for all the work Bingo does for him like turning on lights and opening drawers.

Students from the East Robotics Team 1038 from East Lakota High School and students from West Lakota High School solved the problem and at the same time helped empower Konrad. The students modified a “fetch machine”—GoDogGo—so Konrad can use the robot to throw a ball by applying just a little pressure to a new, sensitive switch.

The Dayton Journal-News has a great video of Konrad playing with Bingo, and of the kids who worked on the machine.

Morris Animal Foundation (previously mentioned here as one of my favorite charities) has launched the Canine Cancer Campaign. They are raising $30 million in the next five years to fund a global effort to find a cure for canine cancer in the next ten to twenty years. The research will also look at genetic, nutritional, and environmental risk in order to prevent canine cancer from occurring in the first place.

Why should you care about canine cancer? Because it is the most common cause of death in dogs over the age of two years. One in four dogs will die of cancer. Advances in treating canine cancer means advances in treating human cancer, especially pediatric cancer, and vice versa. And while all dogs are at risk, these dogs are at even higher risk of having cancer. (see chart below)

Check out this video on what this canine cancer campaign will mean for dogs and people.

You can find information on the clinical signs of canine cancer here. (pdf)

When Warren Gillis was jailed in Minnesota, so was his service dog, Lurch. The Great Dane, also appeared in court when Gillis was charged with domestic assault.

Lurch acts as a service dog for Gillis, who is epilleptic, but he is also locally well known as a therapy dog and often visits hospitals and retirement homes.

The presiding judge ruled that Lurch wouldn’t again be allowed in the jail or in court, since the letter on file from a doctor didn’t specifically state the dog was needed by Gillis in jail or in court. Mower Co. Sheriff Terese Amazi stated she doesn’t have the staffing to take care of a dog in jail.

I think Judge Fred Wellmann and Sheriff Amazi may need to familiarize themselves better with The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and The Civil Right of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA).