1. New research published in Academic Emergency Medicine indicates that for physicians and nurses working evening shifts in the emergency department, interacting with a therapy dog for several minutes may help lower stress. In the 122-participant study, emergency providers randomized to a five-minute interaction with a therapy dog and handler had a significant reduction in self-reported anxiety. Also, at the end of the shift, emergency providers had lower salivary cortisol (a stress hormone) with therapy dog interactions compared to the control group. (via Wiley, Science Daily)
2. As California works to tighten the loopholes in its puppy mills ban, the state of Iowa has lent a helping hand — shutting down an alleged puppy-laundering ring that supplied sick animals to Golden State pet stores. Californians were duped into believing that the young, designer-breed dogs they fell in love with in pet stores were legitimate rescues. It turned out that commercial breeders in Iowa simply registered as nonprofits with the Internal Revenue Service to circumvent California’s puppy mill ban, authorities said. (via The Orange County Review, The Los Angeles Times, Iowa Office of the Attorney General)
3. China has drawn up new guidelines to reclassify dogs as pets rather than livestock. In part a response to the coronavirus outbreak, the Humane Society called the draft proposal a potential “game changer” in animal welfare. Though dog meat remains a delicacy in many regions, the Ministry of Agriculture said in a notice published on Wednesday that dogs would no longer be considered as livestock. It uses that designation for animals that can be bred to provide food, milk, fur, fibre and medicine, or to serve the needs of sports or the military. Dog consumption has become increasingly unpopular in China, and the southern city of Shenzhen became the first to ban it last month. (via Reuters, The BBC)
4. Most dog owners intuitively understand what their pet is saying. They know the difference between a bark for “I’m hungry” and one for “I’m hurt.” Soon, a device at home will be able to understand them as well. Furbo, a streaming camera that can dispense treats for your pet, snap photos and send you a notification if your dog is barking, provides a live feed of your home that you can check on a smartphone app. In the coming months, Furbo is expected to roll out a new feature that allows it to differentiate among kinds of barking and alert owners if a dog’s behavior appears abnormal. (via The New York Times)
5. Just like being overweight for humans can lead to serious health conditions—the same applies to dogs. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), 55.8% of dogs are classified as over weight. To make matters worse, 95% of owners don’t even know their pets are overweight, which the APOP refers to as the “fat pet gap.” The American Kennel Club says that figuring out whether your dog is overweight or not is a matter of both appearance of the body constitution and touch. You should be able to feel your dog’s ribs when you press the sides of their body. (via Forbes, Pet Obesity Prevention, American Kennel Club)
6. All over the country, from New York to Wisconsin and North Carolina to Colorado and New Mexico, animal shelters are reporting massive upswings in the numbers of animals they’ve been able to adopt out or place in foster homes. The reason why is no mystery: As people are practicing social distancing to curb the spread of Covid-19, many have come to the conclusion that now is the perfect time to bring a pet into their homes. According to Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, the rates of fostering, in particular, have increased by 90 percent in some cities. (via Wired)
7. Isolated in their homes, uncertain about the future and desperate for uncontaminated unconditional love, Americans are stocking up on puppies. Ms. Hausnerova and her allergy-prone husband, Asaf Nagler, 39, wanted a hypoallergenic puppy for their two young girls and realized this was a rare moment when they would both be home to train it. The pup was of Italian descent, like their favorite infectious-disease specialist. So in the end the couple went with Fauci. Dog breeder Tommy Smyth usually gets half-a-dozen inquiries weekly about his $3,500 Lagotto Romagnolos. Last weekend, he got 30 requests. “I only had four, but I could have sold 100,” says Mr. Smyth. (via The Wall Street Journal)
Dog Photo of the Week
By Dogs in Food, “Easter Surprise”. Instagram: @dogs_infood
Dog Video of the Week
By WTAJ TV, “Maryland winery using ‘dog delivery”.
I purchased one of Tommy Smyth's Lagotto Romagnolo puppies from him in April 2020. Unfortunately, as my puppy grew, it became clear that he was not actually a Lagotto Romagnolo, which was confirmed by a subsequent DNA test. Tommy Smyth fraudulently sold me a Labradoodle puppy, which he admitted to after I presented him with the DNA test. This breeder is a crook.