Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Our Next NADAC-sanctioned Agility Trials are May 2-3!

Entries are now open for the next Paws & Effect NADAC Agility Trials, scheduled Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3, 2015 at the Jester Park Equestrian Center, 11171 N.W. 103rd Court, Granger, Iowa north of Des Moines. The judge will be Robin Carberry of Joliet, Ill.

The premium describing the event's rules and other details is downloadable as a PDF here. Entries are open from March 17, 2015 to both days of the event.

A Facebook page for the event is here.

The purpose of events sanctioned by the North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC) is "to demonstrate the ability of a dog and its handler to work as a smoothly functioning team." They are also great opportunities to meet up with other dogs and their enthusiasts. For general rules and information on NADAC events, click here.

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 is also widely known for its dog-agility programs, through which children participate in physical, occupational, and speech therapy while taking a therapy dog through an agility course.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Next Book Club Selection: 'In a Dog's Heart,' April 16

The second Paws & Effect Book Club selection for 2015 is "In a Dog's Heart: A Compassionate Guide to Canine Care, from Adopting to Teaching to Bonding"by Jennifer Arnold. In 1991, Arnold founded Canine Assistants, a Milton, Ga.-based non-profit that trains service and seizure-response dogs for children and adults diagnosed with medical needs.

According to her biography, Arnold and her family learned about the value of mobility dogs after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and spent two years of her adolescence using a wheelchair-user.

"I have come to believe that dogs are among God's greatest creations," Arnold writes on her Amazon author page. "I also believe that we have a responsibility to treat them with respect and kindness. Force and intimidation have no place in working with dogs."

"In a Dog's Heart" is Arnold's second book. Her first, "Through a Dog's Eyes: Understanding Our Dogs by Understanding How They See the World" was turned into a one-hour television program on PBS.

The Paws & Effect book club discussion will take place 6:30 to 8 p.m., Thurs., Apr. 7, 2105 at the Grand View University main campus library, Des Moines, Iowa.

The library is located on East 14th Street, between Grandview and Morton Avenues. For directions to campus and maps, click here.