Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Proposed Iowa Law Would License Service Dog Trainers

PHOTO: Paws & Effect
Reacting to reports of inadequately trained service animals, Iowa state Sen. Matt McCoy will propose 2015 legislation that will require the licensure of all service dog trainers every other year. Service dog trainers would be required to meet minimum standards established by Assistance Dogs International (A.D.I.), a Santa Rosa, Calif.-based coalition of not-for-profit organizations that promotes the professional and ethical training of animals.

A formal statement from the office of Sen. McCoy is pending.

Iowa state Sen. Matt McCoy
McCoy is a Democrat who represents District 21 in Polk County, with constituents in Des Moines, West Des Moines, and Cumming. He has served in the Iowa state legislature since 1997.

McCoy's proposed legislation will also create a process by which handlers could be provided a way to identify a trained service animal.

The Americans with Disability Act (A.D.A.) and other federal laws prohibit requiring special licenses, registrations, or uniforms for service animals. Business owners and property managers must provide access to handlers using service animals, unless the animal creates an unsafe or unhealthy environment.

"Service animals are trained to perform specific physical tasks to offset his or her disabilities," says Paws & Effect Executive Director Nicole Shumate. "These are not 'companions,' or 'pets,' or 'emotional assistance' animals. Instead, these working dogs provide their handlers guidance, mobility, and confidence—keys to an improved quality of life."

Established in 2006, Paws & Effect is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that raises, trains, and places service dogs with military veterans and children diagnosed with medical needs. The organization also registers therapy animals through Pet Partners, and hosts community dog-agility trials as fund-raising events.

"Inadequately trained animals and those fraudulently represented as service dogs create a a risk to the public, diluting the strength of public access laws for those individuals who adhere to accessibility laws," Shumate says.

"We are supporting Sen. McCoy's legislative efforts because licensing service dog trainers is a step toward protecting service dog recipients."

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Our Annual 'One Heart, Four Paws' Celebration is Feb. 13!

Join us in celebrating the many accomplishments of our animals, raisers, recipients, Pet Partners, and supporters at our annual "One Heart, Four Paws" event, 6-8 p.m., Fri., Feb. 13 at the new reception space at Flying Mango Restaurant and Catering, 4345 Hickman Road, Des Moines, Iowa. The space is located just west of the restaurant. Parking is also available at 4401 Hickman Road.

Established in 2006, Paws & Effect is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that raises, trains, and places service dogs with military veterans and children diagnosed with medical needs. We also register therapy animals through Pet Partners, and host dog-agility events.

"As we build toward our 10th anniversary next year, it's a great time to reflect on everything our volunteers and animals do to help enrich the lives of others," says Executive Director Nicole Shumate. "Valentine's Day is a perfect time to celebrate 'One Heart, Four Paws.'"

The program includes a display and results from the first-ever "One Heart, Four Paws" writing and arts contest, and showing new Public Service Announcements currently being televised on regional media outlets.

The menu will feature heavy hors d'oeuvres, created by the renowned chefs at Flying Mango. Notably, Flying Mango is scheduled to be featured on the Food Network's "Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives" on Jan. 16. A Facebook page for the restaurant is here.

Tickets for the event are $50. For more information or tickets, contact Executive Director Nicole Shumate at: nicoleshumate AT paws-effect.org.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Paws & Effect to Support DMU Canine Brain Research

PHOTO: Des Moines University, Des Moines, Iowa
Paws & Effect greets the new year with the announcement of three developments related to increasing awareness, study, and appreciation of human-animal interactions.

In addition to the organization's induction into memberships into the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) and the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO), the Central Iowa non-profit recently formalized its support of a Des Moines University medical research program that resources study of canine brain anatomy.

Established in 2006, Paws & Effect is a Des Moines, Iowa-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that raises, trains, and places service dogs with military veterans and children diagnosed with medical needs. The group also registers therapy animals through Pet Partners, and regularly hosts NADAC-sanctioned dog-agility events for fun and fund raising.

"Paws & Effect's involvement in the research community is a reflection of our commitment to the human-animal bond," says Paws & Effect Executive Director Nicole Shumate. "There are many questions yet to be answered and we seek to be involved in research that can bring a more clear understanding to what we witness every day. As we approach our 10-year anniversary, we are increasingly able to be supportive of the therapy and service dog industry in significant and meaningful ways."

Muhammad Spocter, a biologist and anthropologist who is an assistant professor in university's department of anatomy, will lead the effort to collect tissue samples and document variations in canine brains. "The establishment of a Canine Dog Brain Registry and accompanying Biospecimen Repository will serve as valuable resource for researchers interested in canine mental health, cognition and brain variation," he writes. "This resource will be used to inform ongoing studies of behavioral disorders in canines, as well as studies of mental health disorders in humans (e.g., PTSD)."

"Tissue from the collection will be made freely available to researchers within the region (based on scientific merit of project proposals), and will be annotated with relevant clinical and behavioral data," he continues. "Research outcomes and imaging resources generated from this data will be made freely available through an online portal to help foster ongoing interest from the public and help educators interested in using some of this data in their classes."