Author: Sarah

On just about any other day, Phoenix KNXV-TV helicopter pilot Craig Smith, would have been flying with his dog Molly. But on the day of the fatal crash of two helicopters, Molly, a West Highland Terrier, had been left behind in the rush to cover the breaking story. Molly went everywhere with Craig Smith. She was a fixture in his helicopter and even accompanied him to the dentist. In the end, she also attended Smith’s funeral. Smith had planned for Molly in case anything happened to him. His parents will now be caring for Molly.

Who knew, but how smart?! Mutt Muffs offer hearing protection for our pups. They were created by a Cessna pilot for her dog who accompanies her on flights. She realized the noise of the cockpit must be affecting her dog’s sensitive hearing and that he needed hearing protection just as much as humans. Dogs wearing Mutt Muffs are more alert and happy on flights, where before they “slept” and were probably trying to tune out all the noise.

Mutt Muffs have the same high density foam used in pilot’s headsets and they’re designed to be shake-proof, so your dog won’t shake them off. The site says dogs get used to them pretty quickly and they do look like they are designed to fit really well. I don’t know that I’d use them on a dog in the baggage compartment of a commercial flight since they’d be unsupervised. But, I could see them helping with fireworks or ongoing noise like construction, in addition to flights in private planes or in the cabin of commercial flights.

FlexPetz offers time shares in dogs for people who don’t have enough space or time for full-time dog ownership. Members are able to reserve a dog for a certain day, then pick up the dog or have it delivered, and the dog comes with its own “care kit”, including leash, food, bowls, and bed. FlexPetz was started so people who miss having a dog, but know they aren’t able to be a full-time dog owner, could still have canine companionship.

I’m not sure how I feel about this. I don’t like the idea of people thinking dogs are just an object you can rent or something disposable or interchangable. But I do like the idea of people benefiting from having a dog even if circumstance don’t make it possible for them to responsibly have a dog full-time. Dogs can add so much to our lives:

• more exercise
• companionship and love
• reduced stress
• more laughter
• more socializing with other people
• a level of security
• improved physical and mental health

FlexPetz says it adopts rescue dogs when possible and I immediately noticed on their site that they have black labs, which are dogs least likely to be adopted from shelters. (Check out the post on black dog syndrome to see the problems black shelter dogs face.) FlexPetz must choose dogs who are unfazed by moving around and meeting lots of people, but even then I don’t like the idea that these dogs lives might be too chaotic. However, these dogs are probably some of the best exercised dogs around and have the most enriched lives, because the people spending time with them are literally invested in them. FlexPetz is insanely expensive.

If you long for time with a dog, I think a better idea might be volunteering at a rescue organization for dog walking, training, socializing, and grooming. Check with your local Humane Society or animal shelter.

Jake started out an abandoned, injured puppy, but was adopted and trained by Mary Flood to be a search and rescue dog. Jake and Mary searched for survivors in the rubble at the World Trade Center after 9/11 and in the flooded homes in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. And he was helping Mary train other search and rescue dogs. Sadly, Jake was euthanized at the age of twelve after battling cancer.

But even after death, Jake will continue to help people. He is part of a study of 9/11 search and rescue dogs conducted by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine to learn what, if any, were the long-term effects of searching the WTC rubble.