Professionals United for Public Service Award presented as part of the 2006 Ohio's Outstanding Animals Awards

A select group of animals and professionals have been selected to be part of a very special inaugural award being given for the first time as part of the Ohio's Outstanding Animals Awards presentation. The Professionals United for Public Service Award honors and recognizes the human-animal bond on an elite level. The OVMA is pleased to announce the institution of this award to honor both humans and animals for their public service and dedication to this service in their community. The OVMA will recognize the recipients of the Professionals United for Public Service award during the 2006 Ohio's Outstanding Animals presentation on Saturday, August 12, 12:30 - 1:30 pm on the OVMA's Main Street Stage at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus.

Abbey (13.9 yr. old, Female, Shepherd Mix)

Capital Area Humane Society Animal Law Enforcement Rescue Case &

Retired Capital Canine Connection Therapy Dog

Melinda C. Capers, Grove City, OH

Rescuer(s): Chief Humane Agent Kerry Manion, Capital Area Humane Society Animal Law Enforcement, Hilliard, OH & Detective Brian Keefe, Columbus Division of Police, Columbus, OH

Veterinarian: Dr. Tod Beckett, VCA Mill Run Animal Hospital, Hilliard, OH

On Tuesday, October 22, 1996, after a neighbor alerted officials to the situation, six cats and a dog were removed from the house at 1583 Aberdeen Avenue in Columbus, OH. This house had been declared unfit for habitation by the city of Columbus Code Enforcement Department. A warrant had been signed by the Franklin County Environmental Court Judge allowing the Capital Area Humane Society (CAHS) Humane Agents to pick up the animals. On hand to assist the humane agents in removing the animals from the home was Officer Brian Keefe - Columbus Division of Police. This came after the CAHS Humane Agents had observed animals feces inside the home (including on table tops), windows left open and mail accumulating in the mail box. Chief Humane Agent Kerry Manion had previously left two notices asking the owner to contact CAHS regarding animal neglect. (read the news article http://www.ohiovma.org/pdf/AnimalAwards/sevenanimalsremovedfromhouse-wednesdayoctober231996articleonabbeyfromcolumbusdispatchmetrosection.pdf)

On November 23, 1996 the lone dog removed from the house became Melinda Capers' first CAHS foster dog. The four-year-old black and tan Shepherd Mix was named Abbey after the street from the house in which she had been removed. On February 26, 1997 Abbey's former owner faced one charge of Cruelty to Animals and was found guilty on one count. Subsequently, the judge relinquished custody of the animals to CAHS and Capers adopted Abbey the following day, February 27, 1997. At the sentencing on March 13, 1997 Abbey's former owner pled guilty to the original charge of Cruelty to Animals. Since that time, Capers has been an Animal Rescue Volunteer in the CAHS Animal Law Enforcement department.

Capers worked with Abbey to become a therapy dog visitation team with CAHS' Capital Canine Connection. "My interest was increasingly heightened to a mission because of the death of Kathy Lavigne's son Matthew (a family friend) in Connecticut from medullar blastoma at the age of seven," Capers wrote. "Although I did not know Matthew well, his life experience had a huge impact on me in many ways. To this day, I dedicate the work that Abbey and I have done with Children's Hospital in his memory."

On June 23, 1997, Abbey completed the skills and aptitude screening for the Delta Society Pet Partners Program (she retained certification for 4 years). She earned the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen designation. In September 1997, they made their first visit to Children's Hospital in Columbus. Abbey was one of the original participants in with at Children's Hospital.

Abbey sustained a break in her shoulder that never received medical attention. She has had osteoarthritis/degenerative joint disease since the age of four, and the shoulder joint has fused itself together resulting in limited mobility in that leg. She also was diagnosed with having discoid lupus.

Abbey went on to win first place in the Medina County Gazette's Pet Story Contest on May 14, 2002. After the contest, Capers received a letter from Medina County Auditor, Michael E. Kovack, that said, "It is heartwarming to know that people take an active part in making the lives of pets better. To bring your dog from part of an animal cruelty case to being a Therapy Dog is wonderful. I commend you on all you have done. And I know that you have a best friend for life who will love you unconditionally."

In August 2004, she was diagnosed with Cushing's Disease aka hyperadrenocorticism and successfully treated with Lysodren (Mitotane), a chemotherapy drug. In June 2006, she experienced severe gastroenteritis which necessitated a hospital stay. The decision was made to ease Abbey into retirement. On June 21, she retired from active duty as a therapy dog for CAHS' Capital Canine Connection, during a farewell visit to Children's Hospital.

Abbey will be 14 yrs. old on November 23, 2006. In recalling what bringing Abbey into her life has meant, Capers stated, "The day that I bought Abbey home as a foster dog, she changed me and the direction of my life. She came to me and found her forever home in my heart. She changed my world just by being herself."

In an efort to play catch up.....I meant to share this with all of you alot sooner than now. However, quite a bit of traveling has kept me away from being able to sit down and put this all into one message. So here it goes..... Marlo was all cleaned up that day and we even offered to go last since she was volunteering all day as the test dog anyhow. She did very well going through the motions to test other dogs That morning I found out that a few new elements were added to the test and in preparation for the test, I practiced those with Marlo throughout the day to get her used to it. One example is that they added a person posing as a mock patient wearing a mask which is something they are very likely to encounter in a hospital or nursing home facility. One other was the applying of pressure on the webbing between the toes on their paws and saying "pinch" really loud although it's not really pinching them. I was VERY concerned with this particular portion of the test because Marlo is a screamer, moaner whiner just to get her nails cut. So throughout the day I had the son of the woman administering the test and another volunteer practicing this on Marlo, and she did great. Before it was our turn to test, I told the test administrator (who trains dogs, works with humane societies and calls herself an animal behaviorist, and breeds Rottweilers and shows them) that Marlo was not going to do the down command and would have a problem with her paws being touched like that. Marlo did fantastic, she did sit and STAY, I was blown away.

However, when it came to the "pinch" portion of the test things went wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy south fast She started with one paw and Marlo screamed the few times she did it So she started with another paw and the same thing happened. Hind sight being what it is, I should have stopped the test there However, before I knew it, the lady was reaching for a back foot and I didn't know if she was going to try the pinch test back there or not, however, Marlo promptly put the lady's hand in her mouth, but DID NOT bite her or growl or break skin. It all happened so fast that before I know it the lady turns and puts her hand around Marlo's muzzle and tells her "you don't put your mouth on me" Marlo did it (I'm sure) to prevent herself from further fear and discomfort, not to be aggressive, I'm just very sorry it happened because Marlo was VERY distraught the rest of the day. I know that Marlo was taken aback by her own actions because she knows she's not supposed to do stuff like that and was shaken up severely by the fact that she did do it.

I let Marlo finish out the test, etc, and at the end of the test the woman looks at me and says "You know I can't pass her at all because she put her mouth on me" then proceeds to talk about another dog that didn't like it, but that dog didn't touch her. This is the same dog I heard her tell the owner to have a thyroid test done on because it did that. She also told me that this pinch test is a part of a national temperament test. She told me that I could retest in September, and I told her I don't think so..... I have not liked her since she was involved in this program personality wise.

That's why I cooled my jets before I went to the top at the humane society to discuss this with them because I didn't want it perceived as if I were seeking out speciaL treatment for my dog. I spoke with the a humane officer to ask about this pinch test and if it is part of the temperament test this officer is certified to administer, and the officer said yes, but portions of this test are NOT meant to be singled out but done in a specific order so as to increase the dogs possibility of agitation or reaction.

I may go test with the first group she flunked with in May. They have another test in October but they don't go to Children's hospital. The tester also said to me that she says that she knows that I want to go to children's hospital and thAT something happening like this there is very likely told her that in my ten years at Children's nothing like that has EVER happened with a child and that was with TWO of my dogs going there twice a month I was more upset that day because Marlo was so upset. All I kept saying after the test as this woman kept talking to me is that I respected her background and training but did not agree with that portion of the test.

The week after the test, I went to talk to a higher up at the humane society and told this person everything that happened that day and how things went. I also asked if the humane society had approved the re-structured content of the test and was told no. I asked this person to obtain an outline of the current test and also compare it to the SAFER temperament test that they do on the shelter dogs as it is my understanding that it is to be done as a whole unit and that there is a definitive structure to it and in light of that it didn't seem like it was done correctly in using that "pinch" test the way it was done, nor was it correct that she did it to two feet and then then went to touch a back foot. This person told me that the tester supposedly went through a SAFER training that the humane society hosted.

This person is going to look into it and get back to me. I also asked this person to obtain a copy of my test records/notes for that day and to review exactly what it said and that I didn't need to see it, but thought that given the fact that this falls under the CAHS liability insurance that CAHS should have copies on record of any and all paperwork involved with this program. I also made sure it was very clear that I was not looking for special favors and was not doing this because I was pissed that my dog didn't pass and I was whining. I said that I shouldn't have allowed her to escalate Marlo to that point and should have ended it sooner, but I most certainly don't want anyone else to go through what she did for that portion of the test. I also told them that while I don't like this woman personally, I respected her background/training, and didn't see her mishandle any other dogs (the only other thing I forgot to mention was that I heard them tell some woman that her dog needed to have a thyroid test because it also screamed during that portion of the test, although the tester was sure to point out to me when talking to me afterwords that Marlo put her mouth on her hand and this dog did not).

I added that I would like to offer the chance for them to review the test, and aside from the down command, if this incident is the only other negative notation on the test that I would like to have the opportunity for them to pick a qualified CAHS staff member to administer either just the pinch test or the entire SAFER test to Marlo and if they then tell me that they think she shouldn't do this, or isn't ready, then we're done with it, but I'd like to have that chance. I also told this person how I had the tester's son and one other volunteer touching Marlo's paws in that exact spot between her toes because I knew it would make her scream and Marlo didn't make a peep for either one of them. This person also told me that she thinks the SAFER test is also constructed to deal with pre-existing phobias in alternate methods of administration. Meaning that if they don't like their toes touched,there are other suggested areas to use as alternates. I told her that I had made it very clear before the tester did that portion of the test that I knew that this was going to make Marlo scream and that she was quite a drama queen in that regard, or as my vet puts it, she has princess syndrome. I think I handled myself very well and I'm curious to see where it all ends up at.