Yavapai Humane Society launches hospice program

Nelson needs a Hospice Home

The word "hospice" comes from the Latin "hospes" meaning, "to host a guest or stranger." The concept can be traced back to the year 1099, when Crusaders founded a "hospice" in Jerusalem for Christian pilgrims and Muslims alike. A Papal bull (charter) issued in 1113 christened the founding Crusaders the Knights Hospitaller and charged them to defend the hospice and care for ailing pilgrims visiting the Holy Land.

Over time, "hospice" came to refer to places of hospitality for the sick, wounded, dying, and travelers and pilgrims.

The modern concept of hospice, which includes palliative care, was pioneered in the 1950s. Palliate comes from the Latin "palliare," meaning "to cloak," as in cloaking pain without curing the underlying medical condition.

Dame Cicely Saunders, a British physician, is credited with developing the modern hospice model. Saunders was inspired by David Tasma, a patient hospitalized with an inoperable cancer. They met in 1948 and envisioned a place better suited to prepare for death than a busy hospital ward.

When Tasma died, he bequeathed £500 to Saunders. In 1967, she used the funds to open St. Christopher's Hospice and launch the modern hospice movement. Although the concept met with some resistance, it has since expanded rapidly around the world.

What, you might ask, has any of this to do with the Yavapai Humane Society (YHS)?

YHS is at the vanguard of a movement whose trajectory has largely paralleled the modern hospice movement. I'm referring to the no-kill movement.

The human "hospice movement" and the animal "no-kill movement" were born in the late 1960s and early 1970s respectively and share a deep respect for the sanctity and dignity of life. It seems only natural, albeit in retrospect, that the two movements would at some point meet.

Renowned English journalist Malcolm Muggeridge, perhaps without intending to, helped put these life-affirming movements into context when he said, "life, however low it flickers or fiercely burns, is still a divine flame which no man dare presume to put out; either life is always and in all circumstances sacred, or intrinsically of no account; it is inconceivable that it should be in some cases the one, and in some the other."

The Yavapai Humane Society embodies the ethic that all life is sacred and believes homeless pets ought not to be killed simply because of a lack of space, resources or out of convenience. This ethic leads to taking responsibility, rather than excusing problems and hiding consequences. Since implementing the no-kill ethic in July 2010, YHS has achieved an 80 percent decline in killing and a 96 percent Live Release Rate in 2012. That means 96 percent of the animals rescued by YHS are placed into loving homes; compared to a national shelter average of just 50 percent.

The animals who don't fare so well are those who come to us suffering from a disease, injury, or congenital or hereditary condition that is likely to adversely affect their health in the future. Animal shelters almost universally support euthanasia for these animals. It is for them that YHS is launching its own hospice program.

If you love animals and can find it in your heart to open your home to provide short-term hospice care to these worthy animals, please enroll in this life-affirming program. YHS will provide and support you with all the medical care the animal will need, including euthanasia when the time comes. All you need to provide is food (which we can help with), water, shelter and love. If interested, call 445-2666, ext. 21, for more information.

Nelson, the cat in the picture, is in need of a Hospice home. He is a 7-year-old neutered Persian diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. He is on antibiotics, prednisone, an intestinal prescription diet and intestinal medication. His condition is manageable; however, his prognosis is poor. His condition progresses at varying rates and in time will not respond to medical management. He is comfortable and happy for now and needs a hospice home where he can be given medication, brought into YHS for checks-ups and monitored until his condition is no longer manageable. Call 445-2666, ext. 21, for more information.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus nothing to fear

This week the Yavapai Humane Society (YHS) staff asked me to feature Portia, a staff favorite. Portia is a 4-year-old domestic short hair with a spice for life; described as cool, calm, confident, playful and a joy to be around. She is mellow enough to get along with a cat-savvy dog and respectful children.

Portia has had many suitors in her two months with YHS, but potential adopters quickly lost interest when they learned she has feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).

FIV has been responsible for the unnecessary killing of far too many cats in way too many animal shelters for too many years; and that is not right, because FIV cats often live long, healthy lives with few to no symptoms.

FIV is an endemic disease found in domestic cats worldwide. It is a lentivirus, which means it progresses slowly, gradually affecting a cat's immune system. Cats are typically infected through a bite inflicted by a stray male cat - earning it the moniker "the fighting cat" disease.

The best-known lentivirus in humans is HIV - but there are major differences between FIV and HIV. HIV cannot infect cats and FIV cannot infect humans. In over 6,000 years of human/cat cohabitation, there has never been any evidence of an FIV cat infecting a human.

The fear concerning FIV cats is unfounded. I am the proud owner of an FIV cat, named Oliver, who lives happily with my FIV-free cat, Beau Bentley (for the past four years). I am distressed by the unwarranted apprehension I find among so many cat lovers regarding FIV.

As long as FIV cats are not exposed to diseases their immune system can't handle, they can live relatively normal lives. Kept indoors, as we recommend for all cats, health risks are significantly reduced. FIV is not easily passed between cats; it cannot be spread casually - in litter boxes, water and food bowls, or through snuggling and playing. It requires a serious bite to transmit the disease from cat to cat.

Before we knew FIV existed, shelters routinely placed FIV cats into loving homes where they often lived long, normal lives. The discovery of FIV in 1986 brought with it an undeserved stigma that has since made placing these wonderful animals more difficult.

Dr. Susan Cotter, professor of hematology and oncology at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, is helping counteract these misinformed fears. "I would not advise getting rid of a cat that tests positive for FIV," she says. "If the cat is young and healthy, it could be years before anything changes."

The important thing is to keep your FIV cat healthy, which is good advice for all cats. In fact, the same advice we offer FIV cat adopters is equally appropriate for all cats. That is, all cats should be kept as healthy as possible; kept indoors and free from stress, fed a high-quality diet, and medical problems should be treated as soon as they arise.

If you already own a cat, ask your veterinarian (or the YHS Wellness Clinic) about early detection to help maintain his health and to help prevent the spread of this infection to other cats.

Although many FIV cats live long, happy lives, some may need periodic medical care or ongoing medical management. That is why adopting a special-needs animal is such a noble and selfless act. If you can find room in your heart and home for Portia, or a cat like her, visit the Yavapai Humane Society and take advantage of our drastically reduced adoption fees in celebration of our 40th anniversary.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Botox removes wrinkles... and animal testing!

I've never met a person willing to admit a tolerance for animal cruelty. However, animal cruelty is quietly accepted by most of us as an inescapable cost of human existence. Case in point: The government requires every new compound that you might be exposed to - whether it's the latest wonder drug, lipstick shade, pesticide or food dye - to be tested to make sure it isn't toxic. This testing usually results in a torturous life and death for many lab animals.

When it comes to corporate budget sheets, saving animals can seem a minor concern. One exception to that mindset is Allergan Inc. of Irvine, Calif., the manufacturer of Botox. Allergan announced last June that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its new method to test Botox's potency. Instead of testing every batch on live animals, Allergan can now run a test on cells in a lab dish.

It took Allergan scientists 10 years to perfect this test. If approved in all the countries where Botox is sold, Allergan predicts 95 percent of its animal testing could be eliminated within three years.

U.S. agencies have already approved alternative tests for experiments on animals' eyes and skin. Scientists are now focusing on humane testing of toxins. These tests could make animal toxicity experiments obsolete in 10 to 20 years, according to the FDA.

In addition to being humane, alternative tests promise better results more quickly and cheaply than classic tests on animals.

Most scientists who experiment on animals prefer not to do so, according to a 2006 survey by the journal Nature. The survey found 78 percent of biologists want to eliminate animal experiments - but only 80 percent of those thought it would ever be possible.

According to the Department of Agriculture, laboratories in the U.S. experiment on nearly 1 million mammals each year. However, that number excludes animals not protected by the U.S. Animal Welfare Act. According to the journal Alternatives to Laboratory Animals, an animal advocacy science publication, the number of research animals is closer to 17 million, including rodents, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

The Johns Hopkins Center estimates that alternatives to animal toxicity tests could save between 10 and 25 percent of these animals. The remaining animals are used in biomedical research labs.

Animal toxicity tests are classic scientific experiments - despite the fact they don't yield the best results. They often fail to accurately predict a toxin's effect on people. For instance: chocolate is bad for dogs but okay for people. Toxicity tests don't even reveal how a toxin sickens an animal, only if it kills the animal.

That's the principle behind the "Lethal Dose, 50 percent" test, invented in 1927. It determines how much toxin will kill half the animals exposed to it. Until recently, that was the test Allergan used.

Allergan scientists decided to think outside that box. This enabled them to apply their understanding of animal and human anatomy towards an unlikely bioterrorism agent called botulinum toxin. This agent, designed to cause paralysis, was found to not only eliminate unwanted frown lines but treat 21 other conditions, including migraines and muscle spasms.

Thanks to Allergan's compassionate leadership, the need to kill millions of lab animals in order to approve household products may soon be a thing of the past.

Join the Yavapai Humane Society in celebrating a more humane future for all animals, especially those in our own community. Register today to participate in the Walk for the Animals scheduled for Saturday morning, April 21, at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott. You can learn more and sign up at http://www.yavapaihumane.org/, or by calling 445-2666, ext. 20.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Thwarting the attack of the pre-alarm cat

I've always been a dog person, so you can imagine my surprise when I learned that cats have idiosyncrasies no self-respecting dog would ever engage in. For instance, why do cats insist on waking you up before the alarm goes off?

Contrary to popular belief, cats are not nocturnal. "Nocturnal" refers to animals that are awake at night and sleep during the day. However, cats sleep at night, as we do - just not as long. Cats are "crepuscular," which means they are most active at dawn and dusk. This is because their ancestors' natural prey was most active at these times. Although cats have good night vision, they can't see without light, so they do sleep at night.

Two dynamics conspire to create the relentless "pre-alarm" cat.

The first is nature. Your cat's internal clock responds to the first light of day and tells her to get up. In the lands of the midnight sun, cats adjusted their biological clock and are not affected by the dawn. However, during the long, dark, sunless Antarctic winters, it's not uncommon for cats to sleep until noon.

The second is training - and this is where we cat owners come in. When your cat wakes in the morning, she quickly becomes bored because there's nothing to do. If you so much as look at her, you've rewarded her with your attention and "trained" her to behave this way every day. If you make the mistake of assuming your cat is pacing and scratching the furniture because she's hungry, and you get up and feed her, then you just made your own bed - and you can forget about sleeping in it.

At this point, pretending to be asleep, yelling or rolling over isn't likely to work. You actually train your cat to pester you in the morning by occasionally giving her attention. An occasional reward is just as powerful a re-enforcer as a continuous reward. For instance, you don't have to hit the jackpot every time you play the slot machines. An occasional win is enough to bring you back - and so it is with kitty. In fact, some forms of resistance may so amuse a bored cat that they'll cause her to see you as a big squeaky toy.

Fortunately, cats can be reprogrammed. When the caterwauling is because your cat really is hungry, place dry food in her dish before going to bed. This gives her something to snack on during the night and in the morning. When it's not hunger, try placing a small fan on the floor. If you like the bedroom door closed with the cat outside, make sure the fan blows air under the door. This will discourage her from sitting outside yelling at you.

Another reprogramming technique is to keep a spray bottle filled with water nearby. When kitty begins to meow at dawn, spray her. Most cats will run off and spend the next hour grooming.

If your cat meows and scratches at the door, try taping bubble wrap to the bottom of the door. Most cats don't like the feel or noise it makes. Laying a piece on the floor in front of the door could keep your cat at bay until after the alarm sounds.

Come by Betty's Cattery at the Yavapai Humane Society to adopt a pal for your cat. Two or three cats are better than one because they'll entertain each while you're sleeping in. In celebration of YHS's 40th anniversary, you can adopt any kitten for $40 (thanks to an anonymous donor) or you can pick your price for any cat that chooses you.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society.  He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

You are invited to the first annual Yavapai Humane Society Walk for the Animals

Prescott hosts many marvelous events each year; many are steeped in history and tradition. Imagine what it would have been like to have participated in the first rodeo, the first Christmas lighting, the first 4th of July parade. Cicero tells us that "history is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity." 

The Yavapai Humane Society (YHS) is inviting you to participate in history in the making. You, your friends, neighbors, kids, co-workers, and anyone else who loves a howlin' good time are invited to participate in our first-ever Walk for the Animals on the morning of Saturday, April 21, at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

There will be two courses, a 5k and a 1k, to accommodate all ages, leg heights and energy levels. You can run, walk or jog at your own pace. The walk is not timed so you can even enjoy a leisurely stroll.

Registration couldn't be simpler. Visit http://www.yavapaihumane.org/ and click on Walk for the Animals. You can register online as a Walker, Youth Walker (11-17), or, for the folks who love animals but not exercise, a Lazy Dog. Registration is only $15 ($12 for Youth Walkers) before April 1. Children 10 and under are free. Registrants receive a free T-shirt and a "doggie bag" full of goodies. If you register after April 1, you pay $20, and if you register on the day of the event, we can't guarantee a T-shirt or "doggie bag." So why wait?

Every walker gets a personal fundraising page that they can personalize with photos, videos, and text and then email to their contacts. Many of our walkers have been shocked at how positive the response has been from their friends and family all over the country.

Charity walks are always more fun with a group so we're encouraging people to create or join a Dog Pack with friends, family, or co-workers. Prescott Animal Hospital created a pack and is challenging the other local veterinary hospitals in a Vet Challenge to see who can raise the most cash for YHS and have bragging rights for 2012. Whisker's Barkery agreed to donate an additional $10 to every walker who joins their team up to $1,000! The YHS volunteers are getting in the act too with their team, the Pawsitively Purrfect YHS Volunteers. We can't wait to see if any of the teams dress in a theme on the day of the walk!

Dogs are welcome to walk with their owners. Dogs must be currently licensed, vaccinated, and on a leash no more than 6 feet in length in keeping with Prescott's leash law. Walk officials reserve the right to refuse entry to any dog whose behavior could be dangerous to others. Please use good judgment regarding the temperament of your pet so the event will be safe and enjoyable for everyone.

All proceeds from the event will go to helping the animals at the Yavapai Humane Society. YHS is the largest animal shelter in Northern Arizona, rescuing more than 4,000 lost, homeless, abused and neglected pets every year. YHS provides many life-saving services and programs, which have resulted in YHS ranking as the safest animal shelter in Arizona by the nation's leading animal shelter watchdog. YHS' "live release rate" is the highest in Arizona and among the highest in the nation: 96 percent.

Sign up today at http://www.yavapaihumane.org/ or to find more information on this soon-to-become historic and fun community event.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Dogs with hypothyroidism are very treatable and adoptable



Buddy



The Auburn University School of Pharmacy estimates 3 to 8 percent of the American human population have hypothyroidism, and the incidence increases with age. I was surprised by this number because when I conducted a poll among friends and acquaintances the percentage seemed higher. Everybody I asked seemed to be on thyroid medication. So I'm hoping the following story will be embraced by an empathetic audience.

Buddy is a 5-year-old male Chesapeake Bay retriever rescued by a Good Samaritan who came upon the original owner who was about to shoot and kill his dog. The Good Samaritan talked the trigger-happy owner into surrendering Buddy to him. He kept Buddy three months before realizing he couldn't provide Buddy the home he deserved.

So he brought Buddy to the Yavapai Humane Society (YHS) on Dec. 3. From day one, Buddy has been a model resident. He comes out of his kennel without coaxing; is leash trained, allows all handling; is social but independent; has no food issues; has a high tail and approaches other dogs with confidence; is good with kids and cats; and is obedience trained.

Buddy is the most popular dog at YHS. Everybody who meets him wants to adopt him - until they learn he has hypothyroidism.

YHS diagnosed Buddy's hypothyroidism after noticing his lethargy and poor coat. Hypothyroidism is a common disease in dogs and occurs when the thyroid gland produces insufficient hormones to regulate the metabolism. This causes a variety of symptoms including weight gain or obesity, hair loss and skin problems. Most hypothyroid dogs respond readily to treatment.

Buddy has been on treatment (a pill placed in his food morning and night) for five weeks, and his desire to play and be more active is palpable. His coat has improved, too. Many dogs suffer from a low thyroid hormone level for years without treatment. If your dog has recurrent skin problems or unexplained weight gain, she may be suffering from hypothyroidism and you should talk with your veterinarian.

Although the onset of clinical signs is variable, hypothyroidism most commonly develops in middle-aged dogs between the ages of 4 to 10 years. The disorder usually affects mid to large size breeds, and is rare in toy and miniature breeds. Breeds that appear predisposed to the condition include the Golden Retriever, Doberman Pinscher, Irish Setter, Miniature Schnauzer, Dachshund, Cocker Spaniel and Airedale Terrier. German Shepherds and mixed breeds appear to be at a reduced risk of contracting the disease.

Hypothyroidism in dogs is easy to treat with an inexpensive daily dose of a synthetic thyroid hormone called thyroxine (levothyroxine). The dose and frequency varies depending on the severity of the disease and the response of the dog to the drug. A dog is usually placed on a standard dose for his weight and blood samples are drawn periodically to check his response and the dose is adjusted accordingly. Once therapy is started, the dog will need to be on treatment for the rest of his life. Usually after the treatment is started, the majority of the symptoms resolve.

Buddy's improvement is obvious and he is ready to be adopted into an understanding and loving home. If you are interested in Buddy, come by the Yavapai Humane Society at 1625 Sundog Ranch Road in Prescott, off the Prescott Parkway, to get acquainted. Buddy is a senior dog so adoption fees are waived for citizens 59 years of age.

In celebration of YHS's 40th anniversary the adoption fee in February and March is $40 for most dogs and you can pick your price for most cats.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Pet etiquette an important part of being a good guardian

Pets are part of the family. We love them and want them with us as much as possible. We take them to the park, on vacation and with us as we run our daily errands. We in Prescott, Arizona are fortunate to live in such a pet-friendly community, with so many pet-friendly hotels, apartments, restaurants and businesses. Nowhere is Prescott's love of pets more evident than on our courthouse square, where pets and people mingle from dawn to dusk.

With so much human/animal interaction in our community, it's important we all practice pet etiquette. Etiquette, simply stated, is having good manners and behaving in a way that makes others feel comfortable. Pet etiquette is making sure others feel comfortable around our pets - and it's easy to do as we follow these basic rules:

License your dog. If you love your pet, license your pet. Licensing your dog is not just good pet etiquette, it's the law. Whatever community you live in, you are required to license your dog. The reason is simple, your dog's license could be his ticket home should he ever become lost. If you really love your pet, you will microchip him, too.

Obey the Leash Law. If you are a dog lover, you no doubt have encountered the retractable leash. These "leashes" allow dogs to wander 20 feet or more from their owner. I have seen people and dogs seriously injured because of these contraptions. People trip over the extended lines, and dogs get into fights with other dogs while the owner is preoccupied or unable to stop it. Not only are these devices dangerous, they are illegal on public property in most communities. Most city ordinances state something to the effect that, "It shall be unlawful for a dog to be at large ... A dog is not deemed at large provided said dog is restrained by a leash ... not more than 6 feet." The purpose of a leash is to control of your dog, something you cannot do with a retractable leash.

Don't leave pets in vehicles. It takes only minutes for a pet left in a vehicle on a warm day to succumb to heatstroke and suffocation. On a 78-degree day, the temperature in a car parked in the shade can exceed 90 degrees - and hit a scorching 160 degrees if parked in the sun.

In just 15 minutes, your pet's body temperature can climb from normal to deadly levels that will damage the nervous and cardiovascular systems, often leaving the animal comatose, dehydrated and at risk of permanent impairment or death.

Intentionally leaving an animal unattended or confined in a motor vehicle when physical injury or death is likely to result is a violation of Arizona State Statute 13-2910.7. The law permits authorities to use reasonable force to rescue your pet.

Don't transport pets in the back of pickup trucks. Sadly, there is no law against this practice, but there ought to be. Transporting a dog untethered or uncrated in the open bed of a pickup truck endangers both the dog and other motorists. All it takes to jettison a dog into traffic is one abrupt stop, quick turn or bump in the road, resulting in broken bones, bruising, road rash and quite possibly death.

Clean up after your pet. Need I say more?

If we can help monitor and educate each other regarding these common violations of pet etiquette, we can create a safer environment for our pets and each other.

If you would like to join the fun and become part of Prescott's pet-loving community, consider becoming a member of the Yavapai Humane Society.  You can also sign up for the Walk for the Animals at this website.  I hope to see you there!

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

12 Ways to Help Homeless Animals in our communtiy

As the Yavapai Humane Society (YHS) celebrates its 40th anniversary many ask how they can help support our mission to protect the health, safety and welfare of our community's homeless pets. YHS appreciates the kindness and generosity of our community to help fund our life-saving programs and services. Here are some of the ways you can help:

1. Walk for the Animals: Gather your friends, neighbors, kids, pooches, and anybody who loves a howlin' good time and join the YHS first annual Walk for the Animals at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on Saturday, April 21. You can register online as an individual or start a team to raise even more funds to help the over 4,000 homeless pets YHS rescues every year. Go to www.yavapaihumane.org to join this fun event.

2. Become a YHS member. You can do this online or by sending a check to the Yavapai Humane Society, P.O. Box 12, Prescott, AZ, 86301. There are six levels of membership ($35, $65, $100, $250, $500, $1,000). Each level comes with special benefits described on our website - or call for more information (445-2666, ext.12).

3. Join P.A.W.S. (Planned Account Withdrawal System): Set an amount and give automatically each month and be a life-saver all year long.

4. Corporate sponsorship: Businesses of all sizes have sponsored YHS to help raise their profile in the community. Call YHS to learn how to sponsor YHS and have a presence at the Walk for the Animals and our Reigning Cats & Dogs Gala, and more!

5. Honorary and memorial gifts: You can honor someone special, or a special occasion such as Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays, and weddings. A memorial gift is a beautiful and compassionate tribute to a person or pet who has passed on.

6. Planned giving: This takes many forms and could provide additional income and/or reduce the amount of taxes you pay. Learn how to create a humane legacy to help YHS by contacting YHS Board director and financial adviser Dan Petz at 443-8712 for a free financial evaluation.

7. Pet guardianship: Many worry what will become of their pet should they die first. The YHS Pet Guardianship program ensures your pet(s) have a home if something happens to you.

8. Donate a vehicle: Donating a running or non-running car, truck or other vehicle is tax-deductible and a great way to help homeless animals.

9. Third-party fundraising: Many organizations and businesses hold a pet supply drive, create a memorial fundraising page, or give a percentage of their business's sales. There are many fun ways to raise money for YHS through third-party fundraising. Consider helping YHS raise funds for an X-ray machine!

10. Donate items to and shop at the YHS Thrift Shop: The shop is always in need of quality new or gently used items to sell. The proceeds go directly to helping the animals we shelter. What a great reason to clean out your garage, closet, or just downsize!

11. Volunteering brings new energy and expertise to our organization and helps people better understand how YHS makes a difference in the lives of animals and people in Yavapai County.

12. Reigning Cats & Dogs: Save the date for the 40th Anniversary gala event on Sept. 8 at the Prescott Resort. Consider making a donation to the silent auction; art, timeshares, services and products help raise life-saving funds for the animals. Call 445-2666 ext 12 for event information.

Please visit our exciting new website at http://www.yavapaihumane.org/ for answers to any questions you may have about helping YHS. Please contact us directly with your ideas. Your help is both needed and appreciated!

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Tax court victory helps animal rescue volunteers deduct expenses

The Wall Street Journal reported last year on a U.S. Tax Court ruling that will affect millions of dollars in annual tax deductions by animal-rescue volunteers. The ruling brings some much-needed clarity to deducting unreimbursed expenses incurred by volunteers helping Internal Revenue Service-recognized charities like the Yavapai Humane Society (YHS).

The case involved Jan Van Dusen, who appeared before a U.S. Tax Court judge and a team of IRS lawyers more than a year ago regarding a tax deduction for taking care of 70 stray cats.

In June 2011, the Tax Court ruled Van Dusen could take $12,068 in charitable deductions for expenses incurred while taking care of the cats for an IRS-approved charity, Fix Our Ferals. The deductions were for cat food, veterinarian bills, kitty litter, a portion of her utility bills and other items such as paper towels and garbage bags.

The decision, in Van Dusen v. Commissioner, paves the way for volunteers to deduct unreimbursed expenses that further a rescue group's mission, such as fostering homeless animals.

It also clarifies rules for deducting unreimbursed charitable expenses of $250 or more, especially if they involve use of a home. It affects donors to charities and religious groups, but not political organizations.

Prior to this ruling, tax advisors often warned clients taking such deductions to be prepared for an IRS challenge. This ruling informs the taxpayer just how to successfully prepare for that challenge - with records of pertinent expenses and a letter from the charity acknowledging the gift.

Van Dusen, 59, is a former family law attorney living in Oakland, Calif. She lives alone in a 1,500-square-foot home in a modest neighborhood with seven cats of her own. As a volunteer for Fix Our Ferals, whose mission is to trap, neuter and care for stray cats, Van Dusen provided foster care for about 70 feral cats.

Van Dusen tried to take the deductions on her 2004 tax return, but the IRS considered them nondeductible personal expenses. In 2009, the case wound up in court. Van Dusen knew little about tax law before the trial, but represented herself because she couldn't afford a lawyer.

She said her pretrial encounters with IRS agents were "intimidating," and she felt that in court the IRS lawyers "tried to portray me as a crazy cat lady." However, Judge Richard Morrison demonstrated considerable patience: "He had to go through all (my) receipts from Costco and ask questions like, 'What were these paper towels used for?'"

In his 42-page decision, Judge Morrison agreed with many of her arguments. He allowed her to deduct most of some bills and half of others for care of the feral cats, ruling they were unreimbursed expenses incurred while helping a charitable group in its mission. He curtailed the total deduction somewhat because she didn't have a valid letter from Fix Our Ferals acknowledging her volunteer work for expenses of $250 or more.

There are an estimated 11 million volunteers nationwide who do volunteer work with local shelters and rescue groups, and many of these volunteers spend up to $2,000 of their own money a year to help animals in need, with some spending up to $15,000 a year.

This is the first time the court has addressed these types of expenses, and this ruling sets an important precedent for the many foster-care-giving volunteers in our community. Check with your tax advisor on the impact this ruling may have on your volunteer efforts.

If you are interested in YHS's Foster Care program or becoming a foster care giver, visit http://www.yavapaihumane.org/ or contact YHS's foster placement coordinator at ehester@yavapaihumane.org or 445-2666, ext. 16.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Scientists discover what pet lovers already know

From time to time, articles appear in the media reporting scientific findings that only confirm what anyone who has ever owned a pet knows instinctively. For instance, the New York Post recently reported that scientists now believe animals seek out pleasure for the sake of pleasure. For those of us who love animals, it is difficult to believe this is even a topic for debate.

How often do we observe our dogs flopping on their backs and displaying that unmistakable, non-verbal and slightly pathetic yearning for a belly rub - which has no benefit other than feeling really, really good.

The dispute over animals having feelings arose in earnest in 1823 when English philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, reacted to the overwhelming animal cruelty of his generation. His distress first appeared in the journal "Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation" (1823) as a footnote. Today, this is considered the most quoted footnote of all time: "The question is not, 'Can they reason?' nor, 'Can they talk?' but rather, 'Can they suffer?'" As strange as it may seem to us today, this was a disturbingly reflective question at the time.

Nonetheless, Bentham's question was not taken seriously by the scientific community for another half-century - not until 1872, when Charles Darwin first theorized that animals do indeed have feelings.

Sadly, those early awakenings were subsequently rejected by scientists following Ivan Pavlov's famous 1901 experiment, which proved that dogs are easily behaviorally conditioned. Pavlov's findings convinced scientists they could dismiss the idea that animals have feelings until the 1970s, when respected American scientist Donald Griffin began publishing a series of books and articles that convincingly argued against the notion that humans alone are capable of thought and emotion.

Since then, we have learned that elephants have their own funeral rites: holding weeklong wakes, shrouding the carcass with branches and dirt, returning to visit years later. Wolves feed and care for injured or vulnerable members of their own pack. In his famous 2000 essay "Consider the Lobster," the late David Foster Wallace explored the ethics of boiling alive an animal that was classified as a sea insect, but which has pain receptors "which make it sensitive to potentially damaging extremes of temperature."

Today, science and technology are routinely providing a more sophisticated and humane understanding of animals - conceding that crustaceans can suffer, elephants mourn and dogs can feel happy.

However, understanding animals as sentient beings seems to be news only to modern-day scientists. In the early 13th century, Saint Francis of Assisi taught that animals are our brothers and sisters. "Not to hurt our humble brethren (the animals) is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission: to be of service to them whenever they require it."

In the 15th century, Leonardo De Vinci opined, "The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men."

"Everything begins in mysticism and ends in politics," according to French poet Charles Peguy. Proof of this can be found in our laws against animal cruelty. The words of saints and mystics regarding the sacredness of animal life has resonated with greater and greater numbers of people in each succeeding generation until our generation finally enacted laws declaring individuals who inflict suffering on animals to be felons in 46 states. This would have been unheard of in any previous generation.

What will be the next generation's relationship to animals? Perhaps the future can be seen through a glass darkly in this prophetic observation made by Martin Luther King, Jr., "One day the absurdity of the almost universal human belief in the slavery of other animals will be palpable. We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them." This is the vision of the Yavapai Humane Society. Join us.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Include your pets in your future planning

Emily Dickinson once said, "Life is so startling it leaves little time for anything else." That was certainly true for Amy Wesselhoft, who packed a whole lot of living into her all too short life.

Amy earned a B.S. in biology from Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was in nurse's training at Yavapai College and employed as a certified nurse's assistant at Good Samaritan at the time of her death. Although fighting a serious illness, her death was still unexpected. A quiet, gentle and loving soul, Amy deeply touched the people around her. Predeceased by her husband, best friend and soulmate, David, Amy is survived by three of her greatest loves: her Labrador retrievers Dinkens, Eme and Katy.

Another poet exclaimed, "Death may end a life, but it does not end a relationship." Amy acquired her three dogs as puppies 11, 9 and 7 years ago, respectively, and it is clear that they miss her. Fortunately, the Yavapai Humane Society (YHS) found loving homes for each of them before they despaired from their loss.

Amy's story is a life lesson for all of us. When planning for the future, make sure your family is financially taken care of - and remember that your pets are part of the family.

When you review your living trust or will, consider including a gift to the Yavapai Humane Society. Called a charitable bequest, this type of gift offers these main benefits:

• Simplicity: Just a few sentences in your will or trust are all that is needed. Share this sample bequest language with your estate planning attorney: "I, (name), of (city, state ZIP), give, devise and bequeath to the Yavapai Humane Society (written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property) for its unrestricted use and purpose."

• Flexibility: Because you are not actually making a gift until after your lifetime, you can change your mind at any time.

• Versatility: You can structure the bequest to leave a specific item or amount of money, make the gift contingent on certain events, or leave a percentage of your estate to YHS.

• Tax Relief: If your estate is subject to estate tax, your gift is entitled to an estate tax charitable deduction for the gift's full value.

To make a charitable bequest, you need a current will or revocable living trust. Your gift can be made as a percentage of your estate, or you can make a specific bequest by giving a certain amount of cash, securities or property to the Yavapai Humane Society after your lifetime.

Contact Daniel Petz at 443-8712 or Daniel.Petzsr@gmail.com regarding any questions about naming the Yavapai Humane Society in your will or living trust. We're happy to help, without obligation.

Always see your estate-planning attorney about making or updating your will or living trust documents. If you would like to discuss the good your future gift could accomplish at the Yavapai Humane Society contact me at 445-2666, ext. 21, or by email at eboks@yavapaihumane.org.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Yavapai Humane Society hopes to celebrate 40th anniversary with life-saving X-ray machine

The Yavapai Humane Society (YHS) is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and we hope to further establish our "no-kill" ethic in 2012. Many still ask what no-kill means, while others ask if it is even possible.

No-kill is defined by YHS as the process of applying the same criteria for deciding an animal's fate that a loving pet owner or conscientious veterinarian would apply. That is, healthy and treatable animals are not killed simply because we lack the resources to care for them.

The no-kill ethic was embraced by the YHS Board of Directors and management team in July 2010. Since then we have achieved a 77 percent decrease in shelter killing and an ever-increasing live release rate.

The live release rate (LLR) refers to the number of animals who get out of a shelter alive. It includes adoptions, transfers to other rescue organizations and lost pets returned to their owners. YHS maintained a 90 percent LLR in 2011, and we've kicked off our 40th anniversary with a remarkable 97 percent LLR for dogs and a 100 percent LLR for cats!

If no-kill were an Olympic moment we would no doubt all be rejoicing for having "arrived." But sustaining no-kill is more analogous to a marathon - and we have only just begun.

YHS is the largest animal rescue organization in northern Arizona. We are becoming increasingly known for our many life-saving programs, which have made western Yavapai County the safest region for pets in all of Arizona.

So effective are our life-saving programs that today the animals most at risk of euthanasia or delayed care are those with medical issues we are challenged to diagnose because we lack X-ray equipment. Local veterinarians graciously provide X-ray services to YHS when we can afford it, but this dependency requires YHS staff or volunteers to spend precious time transporting critical care animals to and from the veterinarian. Many times an animal doesn't have the time it takes to transport it back and forth, and sometimes YHS just doesn't have the funds to pay for these life-saving X-rays - not to mention follow-up X-rays during rehabilitation.

Imagine losing your beloved pet, and learning later that s/he was hit by a car and taken to YHS. Historically, this news would have gone from bad to worse because YHS euthanized suffering animals when we were unable to determine the full extent of the injuries. If YHS had an X-ray machine, the likelihood of an injured pet's survival would increase exponentially.

To ensure every critically injured or severely ill animal that YHS rescues has a fighting chance at quality life requires X-ray equipment on-site. This vital tool will allow YHS to treat these critical needs animals efficiently and humanely - and it will save more lives.

The cost for this equipment is about $40,000. This is YHS' 40th anniversary. If 40 individuals could find it in their hearts to give $1,000, YHS could secure this equipment this year. What a birthday present for our 40th anniversary!

If you are able to help in this life-saving effort, please mail your donation to the Yavapai Humane Society at 1625 Sundog Ranch Road, Prescott, AZ 86301; or call in your donation at 445-2666, ext. 21. If you prefer, check out our brand new website at www.yavapaihumane.org and click Donations/X-ray.

If you can't afford $1,000, any gift toward this essential need will be greatly appreciated! Any monies above the $40,000 will go to YHS' STAR (Special Treatment And Recovery) program which provides critical medical care to sick and injured animals.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

'Safety Net' program needs partners to alleviate suffering

A value of the Yavapai Humane Society (YHS) is compassion. Compassion is a deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the desire to relieve it. More vigorous than sympathy or empathy, compassion gives rise to an active desire to alleviate another's suffering. Compassion is the key component in what manifests in the social context as altruism.

In ethical terms, the Golden Rule may best embody the principle of compassion: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Compassion does not simply mean caring deeply about someone else's suffering. Compassion causes you to get personally involved. Compassion manifests in the face of cruelty when you are moved to say out loud, "This is wrong" - and moves you to do something to end the suffering.

It is not uncommon for YHS to receive calls for help from victims of domestic violence. Domestic issues involving humans are not usually within the purview of an animal organization like YHS. However, recent calls for help are causing us to say out loud, "This is wrong." These calls involve women looking to escape their desperate situations - feeling like hostages in their own homes, unable to leave because their abusers threaten to harm the family pet(s) should they attempt to do so.

Finding a safe place for these pets is a prerequisite to these women getting the help they need. What can YHS do to help when our shelters are already overflowing with lost and homeless animals? By way of some rather circuitous routes, YHS has been able to help in some small ways - but we don't want to continue to be caught so flat-footed. We must be able to respond better and more quickly.

Domestic violence and partner abuse is not a YHS problem. Domestic violence is a community problem. Abuse comes in many forms, both verbal and physical. Verbal abuse and manipulative behavior can be as destructive to the soul as violence is to the body. Women, children and pets should never be victimized or cruelly treated regardless of the situation. To do so is wrong.

YHS is moved with compassion to do something about this wrong, but we are ill-equipped to do it alone. These types of complex problems need a community response that ensures victims of violence never go unheard.

YHS has a program called Safety Net designed to help pets stay with their families through difficult financial times, dislocations, hospitalizations, evictions, etc. Often families face crises that prompt abandonment of a beloved pet, even though the crisis is likely to be temporary.

When properly funded, the Safety Net program can help pet owners weather such storms by providing emergency foster placement, veterinary help, counseling and other remedies to help prevent a pet from losing its home and family because of a temporary crisis.

Sadly, we seldom have enough funds to assist people within this narrow mission. Clearly, our Safety Net program is not sufficient to meet the needs arising from domestic abuse. What is needed is a community-wide safety net - a program with financial sponsors and service and product partners. Partners able to provide human and/or pet boarding, pet grooming and supplies, veterinary services, social services and doctors are vital. We need partners who recognize that abuse and cruelty are wrong and are moved to do something to ease that suffering - rather than look the other way. Together we can create this community-wide safety net so no one has to stay in a terrible situation in order to protect a loved one.

If you are interested in creating a safety net program in our community to help alleviate human and animal suffering, contact me at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or call 445-2666, ext. 21.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Soldier's Best Friend program pairs military vets with dogs

Dogs have long been considered man's best friend, but the Yavapai Humane Society (YHS) is partnering with a remarkable organization dedicated to taking this concept a step further by declaring dogs the perfect companion for veteran soldiers.

Soldier's Best Friend is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI). By partnering with the Yavapai Humane Society, the Soldier's Best Friend program also helps homeless pets find an honorable home.

The program was started by veterinarian John Burnham, who saw the need when a few of his patients' owners returned from deployment.

"I watched them getting ready for deployment, as they'd come in with their animals and I'd see them when they came back," Burnham said. "It was obvious the attachment that was there with the animals and the effect the animals had on them."

Soldier's Best Friend was started in March of this year in Glendale. Dr. Burnham is now bringing the program to Yavapai County. He is pairing local veterans with a dog adopted from YHS or working with one they already own. The program is offered at no cost to veterans and includes adoption, training, feeding and medical care during the training period.

All U.S. military veterans and active military members suffering from PTSD or TBI qualify to participate in the program. Soldier's Best Friend is an organization made up of military members, combat veterans with PTSD, professional dog trainers, a veterinarian and PTSD therapists along with many other fine volunteers.

Depending on the individual need of the applicant, Soldier's Best Friend will train veterans with one of two types of dogs: a certified service dog or a therapeutic companion dog. A certified service dog is allowed by law to enter public places such as the veteran's place of employment, restaurants, buses and stores. These are rights established in the American Disability Act (ADA). A therapeutic companion dog is not allowed to enter most public venues, but the dog is fully obedience-trained including one or two special needs tasks.

Accepted applicants attend training classes two days a week for up to 30 weeks until both the veteran and his or her dog graduate from the program. The training is conducted at the American Legion Post 40 in Chino Valley.

Studies show that a service or therapeutic companion dog can help veterans recover and adjust back into civilian life easier when they are experiencing panic attacks, anxiety, depression, nightmares, flashbacks, uneasiness in crowded places, irritability, suicidal thoughts and/or reclusive behavior. Some studies show 80 percent of the veterans participating in this type of program experience improvement in their symptoms and a reduction or elimination in their use of medication.

Prescott residents Christopher Snodgrass, 28, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq; Andrew Polach, 52, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Beirut and Grenada; and Aaron Ragan, 24, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq have already enrolled in the program. All three veterans are in training with dogs adopted from YHS specifically for this program.

Dr. Burnham is hoping to enlist local veterinarians to help provide no- or low-cost veterinary services to veteran and dog program graduates. If you are a local veterinarian and you are interested in participating in Soldier's Best Friend, contact Dr. Burnham for more information.

All veterans with PTSD or TBI can apply for admission to this program by contacting John Burnham, DVM, President of Soldier's Best Friend, at 480-269-1738 or by emailing john@soldiersbestfriend.org. Letters of interest can also be sent to P.O. Box 6242, Glendale AZ 85312. More information on this program can be found at http://www.soldiersbestfriend.org/.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society.  He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Pet rabies vaccination a matter of life and death

Recently, an animal control officer from the Sheriff's Office impounded an Australian cattle dog. This may seem unremarkable until you learn this dog was minding his own business in his own yard. You might ask why in the world an animal control officer would impound a dog who was not violating the leash law, had not bitten anyone, but was simply playing in his own yard.

The dog's name was Blue. Blue's transgression was that he was exposed to a skunk. According to state law, dogs and cats without current rabies vaccination exposed to a rabies suspect (wildlife) must be quarantined for 180 days.

Blue was alone in his yard when he encountered the skunk. It could have been a bat; it could have been a fox or a bobcat. It just happened to be a skunk. It is not known to what extent Blue was exposed - there were no obvious wounds - but he was close enough to get sprayed.

Rabies is an unforgiving disease, and there is no room for error. Sadly, Blue had never been vaccinated against rabies.

If the skunk had been captured, it could have been tested for rabies. However, the skunk left the area before the animal control officer arrived. The animal control officer was compelled by state statute to impound the dog for a 180-day quarantine at the owner's expense. Unfortunately, the owner could not afford to board his dog for that length of time. As a result, the Sheriff's Office ordered Blue euthanized and decapitated, and his head sent to the State Lab for rabies analysis. Horrific as this sounds it is the only known method for determining rabies outside of a costly quarantine.

This tragic end to a wonderful dog could have easily been avoided. If only Blue had been vaccinated against rabies, he would be playing in his yard today. Don't let Blue's tragic experience happen to your pet.

Rabies is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system, causing encephalitis. It is always fatal once symptoms appear. Rabies can be prevented in people who have come into contact or have been bitten by wild animals through prompt administration of anti-rabies vaccine and rabies immune globulin. Hundreds of rabies post exposure prophylactic treatments are initiated annually in Arizona to prevent rabies from developing after exposure. Sadly, there is no such remedy for exposed dogs and cats.

In Arizona, the principal rabies hosts are bats, skunks and foxes. These animals carry their own distinct rabies virus variants or "strains." When rabies within these animal populations increases it can "spillover" into other mammal species, such as bobcats, coyotes, javelina, cats, dogs, horses, cows, etc. Every year, approximately 30 people are exposed to rabid animals in Arizona. People who are exposed must receive vaccine and anti-rabies serum treatment to prevent infection and death.

In Arizona, bats present the most common source of rabies exposures to humans because rabid bats often fall to the ground where they are easily accessible to people and pets. Bats are generally not aggressive. Exposure to rabid bats usually occurs when people pick up or handle a sick or dead bat. Other rabies exposures occur when people try to approach or feed wild animals, or in some cases, are attacked by rabid animals such as foxes, bobcats and skunks. Most rabies exposures can be avoided by simply leaving bats and other wild animals alone. The last documented human rabies death in Arizona was in 1981.

Other than avoiding wildlife, the best way to protect your family from rabies exposure is to vaccinate your pets before they encounter a wild animal and bring the disease into your home - where it can incubate for up to a year.

Don't gamble - vaccinate your pets today!

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Animal abuser registries would protect all of us

Sex offender registration is a system designed to allow authorities to track the residence and activities of sex offenders. Information in the registry is made available to the public via a website or other means. In many jurisdictions registered sex offenders are subject to restrictions including housing, being in the presence of minors, and living in proximity to a school or day care center.

Efforts are now underway to expand this concept to include animal abusers. Initiatives are gaining support and legislation has been introduced in at least five states, including Arizona.

The Arizona Animal Cruelty Registry Law (HB 2310) would require people convicted of animal torture, mutilation, intentional killings and animal fighting to register with the police and provide an array of personal information along with a current photograph, much like sexual predators. The information, along with the registrants' specific offense, would be posted on the Internet.

Animal welfare activists hope laws like this will inspire governments nationwide in the same way Megan's Law registries for child molesters have proliferated in the past decade.

In Florida, State Senator Mike Fasano proposed Dexter's law, named after a kitten beaten to death in his state. His proposal would require convicted animal abusers to register with authorities. Their names, home addresses and photographs would be posted online, and they would pay $50 a year to maintain the registry.

Registries have also been proposed in Colorado, Maryland and New York and similar proposals are expected in other states.

Suffolk County on Long Island moved to create a registry in 2010, and has since been followed by two other New York counties. No names appear on the Suffolk County registry yet, because it was only recently set up. Convicted abusers will appear on the registry for five years. Those failing to register are subject to a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail.

The New York counties require pet stores and animal shelters to check the names of anyone seeking to adopt or buy an animal against the registry.

Maryland State Senator Ronald Young said he plans to introduce legislation in the wake of two incidents in his state. In one, a Yorkshire terrier was thrown off a 23-foot-high balcony; the dog, Louie, survived. In the other, a golden retriever puppy named Heidi was shot to death.

A bill to create a registry in California, introduced in 2010, didn't make it through the Legislature, partly because of concerns about its cost.

Liberty Watch Colorado, an advocacy organization committed to holding elected officials accountable, says such legislation is "an unnecessary expansion of government." 

However, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, an animal rights law organization based in California, outlines some taxpayer benefits. For instance, well-managed registries can reduce the number of abused animals and the animal control costs associated with caring for and treating abused animals. They also serve as an early warning system for potentially violent criminals like Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz and Jeffrey Dahmer all of whom tortured and killed animals during their childhoods.

"Researchers as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies nationwide have linked animal cruelty to domestic violence, child abuse, serial killings and the recent rash of killings by school age children," says Dr. Randall Lockwood, vice president of training for the Humane Society of the United States.

Albert Schweitzer said it best when he warned that "Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives." Registering felony animal abusers not only helps protect innocent animals, it helps protect our families, friends and neighborhoods.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666 ext. 21.

Pets improve owners' health and well-being

Did you know that the presence of a cat or dog in a counseling office can speed the therapeutic process for some patients? Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) was introduced by psychologist Boris Levinson in the 1950s when he discovered that his dog Jingles was able to connect with autistic children in a way humans had not.

Since then, AAT has continued to develop as a therapeutic science. Although dogs are the most frequently used therapy animals, cats, birds, rabbits, horses, donkeys, llamas and even pigs and snakes participate in different programs.

According to research, when people hold and stroke an animal, many positive physical and psychological transitions occur, including lowered blood pressure, a feeling of calm, the ability to be more extroverted and verbal, decreased loneliness and increased self-esteem.

Susan Lee Bady, a clinical social worker who uses cats in her practice, says the cats serve a number of different functions, including facilitating emotional expression and touching; encouraging spontaneity and fun; and providing the kind of unconditional love seldom found in human relationships.

Bady's patients report feelings of peacefulness and serenity when they watch cats cuddle and groom each other. This feeling is enhanced when a cat jumps into a patient's lap. Some patients speak more freely while holding or petting a cat. Patients out of touch with their emotions are sometimes able to identify and understand their emotions by watching the behavior of the cats.

Patients with trust issues learn to trust Bady by watching her with her cats. Bady's cats, like all pets, are independent souls. This independence and lack of predictability helps needy or insecure patients cope better with what they perceive as personal slights in everyday life. For example, when patients feel a cat doesn't like them because he or she won't sit in their lap, Bady uses that reaction to open a discussion about their neediness and the problems it might be creating in their lives.

There's a plethora of literature amassed on the many different ways animals help children and adults with psychiatric illness, mood disorders, developmental and learning disabilities, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental and emotional challenges.

One study of hospitalized psychiatric patients concluded that animal-assisted therapy significantly reduced anxiety for patients with psychotic, mood and other disorders.

Another study published in the Journals of Gerontology showed that animal-assisted therapy reduced loneliness in residents of long-term care facilities - especially for those folks who previously owned pets.

A study conducted at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University concluded children with pervasive development disorders (PDD) who lack social communication abilities "exhibited a more playful mood, were more focused, and were more aware of their social environments when in the presence of a therapy dog."

In a report titled "Animal-Assisted Therapy in Psychiatric Rehabilitation," researchers studied the effect of AAT on a group of male and female psychiatric inpatients. By the fourth week of the study, "patients in the AAT group were significantly more interactive with other patients, scored higher on measures of smiles and pleasure, were more sociable and helpful with others and were more active and responsive to surroundings."

Aaron Katcher, M.D., a psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, claims there is tremendous evidence for the success of animal-assisted therapy in controlled studies, such as depressed patients had increased socialization and decreased depression; children with severe ADHD and conduct disorder had decreased aggressive behavior and improved attention; patients with autism or developmental disabilities had increased socialization and improved attention; and patients with Alzheimer's had improved attention and decreased aggression and anger.

According to Katcher, there is also clinical and anecdotal evidence that patients with dissociative disorders and agoraphobia are able to decrease anxiety and increase social skills when they have companion animals.

With all the benefits pets provide, shouldn't you consider bringing one of these little miracle workers home today? Visit your local shelter for the largest selection of adoptable pets in your community.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Children's moral development influenced by adopting a pet

Psychologist, animal welfare advocate and human-animal bond expert Dr. Pia Salk (niece of polio vaccine developer Jonas Salk and daughter of bestselling author/psychologist Lee Salk) is a regular contributor to Martha Stewart's The Daily Wag. In a recent article, Salk asked the provocative question, "Can adopting a shelter animal make a difference in your child's moral development?"

Salk offers important insight into the values we teach our children when we adopt a companion animal from a shelter. According to Salk, the very decision to devote family resources to caring for an animal in need sends a clear message to your children about who you are and what you stand for.

When you adopt a shelter pet, Salk explains, children internalize important values - "We are a family that uses the power of choice to save a life." This teaches kids that by taking personal responsibility, their choices can affect the larger community.

Children need to feel they can impact their world. Parents need to give children opportunities to do so in positive, pro-social ways. Adopting and caring for an animal can provide this opportunity.

Where should this life lesson begin? Salk suggests a family meeting to discuss if the family is willing and able to meet an animal's needs. Together, a family should explore every facet of these questions, such as: Do we need landlord permission? How much exercise will the animal need? How will we provide medical care? Who will be responsible for feeding, training and walks? Who will care for the animal during vacations? How will a pet affect plans to move? Such conversations teach the importance of planning, navigating around potential obstacles and committing to a goal, for better or worse. This exercise is an important step in teaching children the inherent value of the animal's life and well-being.

Answering these questions will also help you determine what sort of animal is a good match for your family. Don't hesitate to ask your local shelter for help in making this decision.

The choice around which animal to adopt can lead to deeper discussions about family values. Perhaps your family is willing to provide a home to an older pet abandoned because of an eviction, or maybe to a cat who has lost an eye or a limb. These choices help children see past age and physical "limitations" so they appreciate another being's intrinsic worth. This teaches acceptance and gives children a chance to witness the inspiring resilience of animals.

Perhaps your family is willing to take in a breed disadvantaged by negative stereotypes. This teaches kids to learn for themselves and not be influenced by a biased or misinformed public perception.

For kids who are adopted, adopting a pet provides an opportunity to talk about their feelings while learning more about their family's love and compassion for others in need. Likewise, for a child who is hearing-impaired or has a condition such as diabetes, adopting an animal with a similar condition, or other special need (provided the resources exist to properly manage it), can be therapeutic and enriching for all involved.

"There is no limit to the great lessons you can teach your children when you opt to adopt," says Salk. "These lessons benefit everyone involved and they live on in the minds of children, manifesting in a lifetime of compassionate acts."

What better time to have this compassionate, life-saving family discussion?  Visit your local shelter today to see all the pets waiting for the perfect home - yours.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Circle of compassion rippling through universities

The New York Times recently ran an article by James Gorman on the status of animals in universities across the United States.

Historically, academia relegated animals to the province of science. Rats were confined to psychology labs; cows to veterinary barns; monkeys to neuroscience labs; and preserved frogs to the dissecting tables of undergraduates. At the same time, the attention of liberal arts and social sciences was directed solely toward human interests.

No more. This spring Harvard is offering "Humans, Animals and Cyborgs," while Dartmouth presents "Animals and Women in Western Literature" and New York University offers "Animals, People and Those in Between."

These courses evidence a growing interest in animal studies. In fact, anything having to do with any connection between humans and animals in art, literature, sociology, anthropology, film, theater, philosophy, and religion is fair game for animal studies.

The Animals and Society Institute, itself only six years old, lists more than 100 animal studies courses in American universities. Institutes, book series and conferences are proliferating as formal academic programs emerge.

Wesleyan University, with the Animals and Society Institute, began a summer fellowship program this year. Michigan State now allows doctoral and master's students in different fields to concentrate their work in animal studies. At least two institutions offer undergraduate majors, and New York University is allowing undergraduates to minor in animal studies.

Scholars never actually ignored animals. Thinkers and writers of all ages grappled with human/animal issues and the treatment of animals. However, the current burst of interest is unprecedented.

Jane Desmond of the University of Illinois, a cultural anthropologist, says public sensitivities are largely responsible for all the animal attention.

The trend may be traced back to Jane Goodall, who first showed us the social and emotional side of chimpanzees in a way we could not ignore. Most recently the popular YouTube video of a New Caledonian crow bending a wire into a tool to fish food out of a container caused academics to wonder how old a child would have to be to figure that out.

The most direct influence may have come from philosophy. Peter Singer's 1975 book "Animal Liberation" was a landmark in arguing against killing, eating and experimenting on animals. He questioned how humans could justify causing animals pain.

Lori Gruen, head of philosophy and coordinator of the summer fellowship program in animal studies at Wesleyan, said, "Thirty years ago animals were at the margins of philosophical discussions; now animals are in the center of ethical discussion."

Another strain of philosophy, exemplified by the French writer Jacques Derrida, has had an equally strong influence. He considered the way we think of animals, and why we distance ourselves from them. In "The Animal that Therefore I Am," he discusses not only what he thinks of his cat, but what his cat thinks of him.

What animals think is something scholars are taking more seriously. Referring to academic programs that focused on disenfranchised populations like women or African-Americans, Dr. Weil of Wesleyan said, "Unlike (those populations, animals) can't speak or write in language the academy recognizes." This communication deficit lent itself to academics raising moral arguments on behalf of the animals.

The great variety of subjects, methods, interests and assumptions in animal studies raises serious questions about how it all hangs together. Law schools have courses in animals and the law; veterinary schools have courses about the human connection to animals; and some courses use animals in therapy as part of animal studies.

None of this diversity diminishes the excitement in what's going on, although there are some academics within the animal studies rubric who think the scholarly ferment has a long way to go before it can truly consider itself an academic field.

One thing the new interest in animal studies does not lack is energy. If you want to better understand what all the scholarly excitement is about visit your local shelter for your homework assignment and adopt a pet today.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.

Euthanasia not acceptable for healthy or treatable pets

The mayor of Los Angeles once told me that he considered managing animal shelters more difficult than running a metropolis like L.A. I had to agree. Animal shelters represent the worst - or best - in a community. They are a nexus of heartache and compassion. When one of these outweighs the other, the soul of a community is revealed.

Understanding the daily challenges inherent in managing animal shelters, my heart goes out to the Arizona Humane Society (AHS). AHS is caught up in a public relations nightmare involving a homeless man who brought his kitten to them for medical care. Daniel Dockery, 49 years old, had hand-raised a 9-month old kitten since she was born. Dockery attributed his companionship with the kitten, Scruffy, to his ability to stay off heroin.

When Scruffy suffered "non-life threatening injuries," Dockery rushed her to AHS where a medical examination determined it would cost $400 to treat her. Unable to pay the fee, Dockery surrendered the kitten to AHS after being assured she would be treated and placed in foster care. Several hours later, Scruffy was euthanized. The report of her death went viral. It seemed every national mainstream and alternate news source reported on Scruffy's untimely death. The resulting outrage forced AHS to hire a publicist to help alleviate public ire.

The publicist explained that Dockery's lack of funds combined with the number of animals in need of urgent care led to the decision to euthanize Scruffy. The betrayal of trust left Dockery feeling responsible for Scruffy's death and prompted an angry public to threaten withholding funds from AHS.

One positive outcome from this ordeal is that AHS created an account funded by donations to cover the cost of emergency animal care. The account is similar to the Yavapai Humane Society's STAR (Special Treatment And Recovery) fund, which is funded by donations and is responsible for saving the lives of many homeless animals in need of critical care.

Having been involved in animal shelter management for 30 years, I understand that mistakes can be made. I have also learned that policies and procedures can be implemented to help ensure errors are made on the side of saving a life, not taking it.

I share this lamentable story because it sits in juxtaposition to many life and death decisions made by the Yavapai Humane Society. For instance, in recent weeks YHS took in four senior pets, each surrendered by their respective owner claiming the pet was suffering from a life threatening illness.

While YHS provides euthanasia to owned animals who are irremediably suffering, we make it clear to pet owners that we will not euthanize an animal when it is determined that the animal is not suffering, is actually healthy, or can be treated.

In each of these cases, after ownership was legally surrendered to YHS, medical examinations were performed. A consultation with the private veterinarian handling the healthcare of each animal prior to surrender was conducted when possible. In each case no life threatening condition or suffering could be found. These animals have since been placed for adoption in hope they will live their remaining years in a loving home.

Every day employees at animal shelters across the United States are faced with decisions to kill or not to kill. Whether it is killing an animal too quickly or not quickly enough, shelters often find they are damned if they do or damned if they don't.

If the Yavapai Humane Society is to be judged, let it always be for trying to save the lives of animals others have given up on. Since embracing our "no-kill ethic," the Yavapai Humane Society has reduced shelter killing 77 percent - making our community the safest for pets in all Arizona.

If you are able to help YHS sustain this life-saving mission (regardless of age) please make a tax-deductible donation to the Yavapai Humane Society today.

Ed Boks is the executive director of the Yavapai Humane Society. He can be reached at eboks@yavapaihumane.org or by calling 445-2666, ext. 21.