Nibbles and Bits - March/April 2006

NNJ Veterinary Foundation
Hall of Fame
Every year the NJ Veterinary Foundation honors four special dogs whose contributions show the strength and value of the human-animal bond. The four categories are 1)Hero, 2)Companion, 3)Professional, and 4)Therapy. These dogs have been nominated by the state’s veterinary community. This year’s winners, presented in February, were as follows:

Hero: “Deuce”, a Czech Shepherd and K-9 partner in the Atlantic City Police Department who saved police and bystanders from harm when he burrowed into the sand under the boardwalk to apprehend a suspect who was threatening passerby with a sawed-off shotgun.

Companion: “Lucy”, a cockapoo from Belleville. Lucy has been the dedicated and loving companion of her family for 9 years and still going strong. Her owners say, “We love Lucy. And she loves us.” That one simple statement seems to say it all.

Professional: “Kelsie”, a West Highland White Terrier who is trained as a Medical Response Service Dog. Kelsie has been trained to monitor her owner’s cardiac condition by listening to her heart rhythm and her hypoglycemia by detecting a lowering of her owner’s blood sugar levels. She has also been trained to operate the electric door locks, windows, directional signals, and horn in her owner’s car. Kelsie and her owner make frequent appearances at schools and business groups where she helps teach animal first aid.

Therapy: “Colin”, and 8 yr old Flat Coated Retriever lives in Ringoes. He has been making weekly visits to the Hunterdon Medical Center for more than 5 years, racking up over 400 hours of community volunteer service, cheering and comforting patients of all ages. He has also logged more than 300 hours at the Alzheimer’s Unit and the Easter Seals Day Care Center.

To find out more about the Hall of Fame or if you know an animal you would like to nominate, go to their web site at www.njvf.org.

March is National Pet Wellness Month, a campaign sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association and Fort Dodge Animal Health. The campaign centers on making pet owners aware of zoonotic diseases, those that can infect both people and pets. These diseases include lymes, rabies, ringworm, giardia. When a pet owner visits participating vet clinics between March 1, 2006 and October 31, 2006, they can enter to win the “Twice a Year for Life” Sweepstakes, courtesy of Fort Dodge Animal Health. The sweepstakes will award 100 grand prizes of semi-annual wellness exams for the lifetime of a cat or dog. To enter (or for more information), obtain an official entry form online at www.npwm.com.