Hero dog overcame torture, helps others
- A dogue de Bordeaux was named the 2016 American Humane Association’s Hero Dog of the Year. He was honored not only for his work helping children with autism learn social skills, but also for surviving torture early in his life when someone cut out his tongue. Now, the first word spoken by many children who were previously nonverbal is his name: “Hooch.” The burly, happy French mastiff also acts as a companion to women in shelters who have been victims of domestic abuse. The other seven finalists, all honored for their service, were law enforcement dog Edo, search and rescue dog Kobuk, service dog Gander, military dog Layka, arson dog Judge, hearing dog Hook and therapy dog Mango.
- A new diagnostic test may help determine the best treatment for dogs with transitional cell carcinoma, the most common type of canine urinary tract cancer. Developed by Matthew Breen, a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University, the test detects cancer by measuring different DNA copies to see if they are elevated or reduced from a normal control sample. Depending on the test result, the dog’s veterinarian may recommend surgery, radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
- Don’t forget to include your dog, cat, bird or other pet in your estate plan. A pet trust — legal in all 50 states — allows you to set aside funds for an animal’s care, administered by a trustee. Pet trusts can take effect during an owner’s lifetime — if he or she becomes incapacitated or moves into a nursing home, for instance — or on death. The trustee disburses payments to a designated caregiver on a regular basis. In most cases, a pet trust ends when the pet dies or after 21 years, but pet trusts can be set up for longer periods for animals with long life expectancies, such as parrots or tortoises.
— Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker