Remembering a true service dog.

Here is Windsor King MacArthur with one of his charges. He saved her from death row where her former owner (a celebrity) had put her, took her brand new bed away and rehabilitated her. She found a new home of her own  -  after she wormed her way back unto her bed.

 PS: This is NOT a posed picture!

A New Year, a New Beginning - Calling all working and service dogs.

The old blog 'Lucysvoice . . .' is gone. Enter Working Service Dog Post, a new regular publication that focuses on the needs and sometimes the pleas of service and working dogs with particular emphasis on establishing, improving and protecting their legal status and their standing in our society by showing the palette of important services they perform, promoting higher standards for training, qualification and certification, by arguing for improved protection, and by combating the rampant abuse facilitated by the present code of laws.

Windsor, the late founder of the 'Lucysvoice . . .', crossed the rainbow bridge while on duty as a service dog. An unofficial service dog, I hasten to add. He never bothered to qualify and to get certified. He did not even own one of those phony 6 dollar service dog patches sold to anyone on the Internet.

He simply served his family and, most importantly fellow canines in desperate need of rescue, assistance and rehabilitation. He was well known and respected in many urban shelters.

So much so that when he decided to retire forever at the end of a long day helping two Mastiffs leave the blighted yard of an abandoned house despite of being himself confined to a wheelchair, his own vet secured him a safe and free passage over the rainbow bridge. A commercial crematorium offered to cremate him at a rate and with the ceremonial honors reserved for police service dogs. Another shelter at which he had assisted many good dogs with a very bad but undeserved reputation honored his selfless service by cremating him for free.

Why the mention?

Because first of all it shows that it does not necessarily take formal training for a dog to be a true service dog. It takes the right character and personality and the opportunity to use the God given talent. Good Samaritans are not produced in Samaritan schools. They are born that way.

Not all dogs have the gift to be service dogs, even fewer yet are blessed with the faculties that make an outstanding service dog.

Windsor had it all. During the last five years of his long life he showed me how to identify troubled powerful, difficult dogs, rehabilitate them and guide them into a new life as trusted family members.

His judgment was uncanny. He never failed to identify those worthy of redemption and to nip at the hopelessly evil.

Windsor King MacArthur on his throne.

His reassuring presence, his example made me realize the invaluable services true service dogs perform day after day without question and complaints.

These working service dogs are the unsung heroes of the dog world: Working dogs guarding the life and the property of their owners, performing physical tasks while assisting challenged handlers, detecting harmful and illicit substances, pulling loads and performing specific services that assist the disabled.

Many are called but few are chosen. Those who are can lead a privileged life during their working years as cherished members of a small 'family' unit. They also enjoy the respect of society at large.

But there is a problem.

It comes in the form of the ever increasing number of impostors.

Read more about this danger in the second part of this article.

PJJ

Lucys Dog Rescue Blog will soon cease to exist.

In the process of moving Lucys Dog Rescue Blog to a new home we have moved the old "Lucy" posts to the new publication. Except for some pictures all previous posts are at the new location.
The old blog will be deleted soon.

New articles are published exclusively in the new periodical.
Please be patient during the transition. We are still experimenting with the new format and layout.You can expect abrupt changes in appearance while we are testing the practicality of different layouts.

Please feel free to contribute your opinion about the templates. We appreciate and invite your input.

'Working Service Dog' focuses on issues and developments that affect true working and service dogs as well as their owners. Rescued dogs deserve a place in the overall picture.

But let us take one step at a time by completing the transition.
PJJ

Lucys Dog Rescue Blog has a new home - Working Service Dog

As of December 17, 2011 lucysvoice.blogspot.com has a new home, a new title and a mission.

The old 'Lucys Dog Rescue - Giving Rescued Pets a Happy Voice' is still at the previous URL. However, we will post all new blogs exclusively on the new blog

Working Service Dog.

You can find the new blog at

http://servicedogpost.blogspot.com/

Please make a note of it. 

As the name says, the new blog will focus more on service and working dogs and topics associate with them. We will look at the legal ramifications, ethical issues and the many abuses perpetrated by zealous owners of 'service' dogs.
Those abuses will have in the long run negative effects on the status of all legitimate service dogs.

Please be patient until the two blogs are fully integrated and the new blog interface is in place.
PJJ

Good Dog Bites Bad Guys

October 13, 2011 by DFG News 

Here is a noteworthy press release featuring a working canine. These dogs are too often overlooked; their valuable work is rarely mentioned anywhere. Here is a tribute to one of them:

"A California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) K-9 and her handler have proven to be a great asset in the war against drugs in northern California. German Shepherd Phebe and her handler, Warden Brian Boyd, have been responsible for the apprehension of 40 fleeing marijuana cultivation suspects on grow sites hidden deep in forestland.

“Apprehension of marijuana cultivation suspects is some of the most dangerous work wardens do,” said Lt. Lynette Shimek, coordinator of DFG’s K-9 program. “Marijuana cultivation suspects are actively engaged in the commission of a felony, usually armed, extremely physically fit, and know the area better than their pursuers. Although most initial contacts with suspects result in foot pursuits, they can’t outrun Phebe.”
DFG has eight K-9s that are trained to detect illegal substances and objects, protect their handlers and apprehend fleeing suspects. Phebe and Warden Boyd, who have been partnered for three and a half years, have fine-tuned their apprehension strategy with great success. Phebe apprehended 13 of the 40 suspects with a bite, while the rest gave up under the threat of being bitten.
Phebe’s recent successes include:
• A July 25 police raid on a known grow site in Mendocino County resulted in a foot pursuit after two suspects fled. One suspect was quickly apprehended by Phebe and detained by the law enforcement team. Warden Boyd immediately put Phebe on the trail of the second suspect, who called out “Don’t let that dog bite me!” before surrendering to officers. Phebe was commanded to hold the suspect without biting him, which she did.
• During a July 28 a police raid of a site in Tehama County, the team contacted five suspects who subsequently ignored the officers’ commands and fled. One officer apprehended a suspect with his Tazer and two additional suspects were captured immediately. Warden Boyd, Phebe, and partner Warden Aaron Galwey set off after the other two. After pushing through extremely dense foliage for 400 yards upstream, Phebe located a suspect and apprehended him. Over an hour later, when Phebe was searching the area for evidence, she sniffed out the fifth suspect hiding in thick cover. Warden Boyd was able to detain the suspect without injury. Phebe then went on to locate the suspects’ ammunition stores hidden in a plastic bag in heavy brush.
Two of Phebe’s apprehensions have been filmed for Wild Justice, National Geographic’s reality television series highlighting the work of California game wardens. Videographers from Original Productions, the producers of the series, attached a camera to Phebe’s collar to give viewers a never-before-seen view point of an apprehension.
One of the apprehensions was aired during the first season of Wild Justice, which began in November 2010. The other apprehension will be shown on the upcoming second season. The air date of the season premiere has not yet been announced."
DFG