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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Hal Sikes <halsikes@hotmail.com>
  • To: MSAR Riders <MSAR-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: [MSAR] Don't Let This Happen To You!
  • Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2004 08:29:35 -0500


[Stripped HTML and GIF. -Una]


A couple of weeks ago my two German Shepards changed radically - =
normally outgoing and full of energy, they began spending a lot of time =
in their crates. Although they have been raised around horses, every =
time we went near the corrals they became highly aggressive towards the =
horses started "relieving" themselves in both the water troughs and the =
stacked alfalfa, which they had never done in the past. As I couldn't =
think of any recent environmental or traumatic issues in their lives, I =
decided to take them to a local "animal physic" to see if she determine =
the problem.

I left the dogs with her for 4 hours, and when I returned she said the =
only thing she "could pick up" was thoughts of their dog crates, a =
newspaper, and a repeated pattern of "First the Air Scenting - Now =
this!"
The only thing she could suggest was to keep them away from the horses, =
give them a lot of extra attention, and changing the bedding in their =
crates.

While cleaning their crates, I found the following article from the San =
Diego Union under one of the blankets, and thought I should get it out =
to all of the K-9 people just in case they have noticed any changes in =
their dogs behavior. IF DOG HANDLERS DON'T UNITE AND STOP THESE DAMN =
MOUNTED PEOPLE, IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE SEARCH MANAGERS START USING =
MOUNTED INSTEAD OF K-9's FOR YOUR SEARCH FUNCTIONS!!


UNION-TRIBUNE=20
October 14, 2004=20

=20


Seeing eye what?
The San Diego Zoo has hosted visitors accompanied by various service =
animals: guide dogs, companion cats, trained monkeys and talking birds - =
all helping their masters with hearing, seeing, seizure warnings or =
simply getting around.=20
So when zoo officials recently were asked for permission for a visit by =
a man with a guide horse, they quickly said: Of course.=20

Dan Shaw, who has retinitis pigmentosa, lives in Maine and travels =
everywhere with a miniature horse named Cuddles. Three and a half years =
ago, he became teamed with his guide horse, trained by a North Carolina =
couple. (Mystery writer Patricia Cromwell underwrote the project, and =
wrote about such a horse in one of her thrillers.)=20

Working with her new master, Cuddles' resum=E9 has grown ever longer: =
The miniature horse has boarded elevators, ridden escalators, navigated =
subways, visited the Statue of Liberty, been on a shopping trip to FAO =
Schwarz, flown in Delta's passenger cabin and attended a showing of =
"Shrek" in a movie theater.=20

About the size and color of a golden retriever, this house-broken horse =
has even gone for a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park - riding =
in the carriage. A visit to the zoo wasn't in the cards last week, =
though.=20

Shaw got as far as Burbank and had to fly home for business. But the =
S.D. Zoo remains high on his to-do list, and he plans to come back - =
with Cuddles.=20



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Diane Bell's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Fax =
items to (619) 260-5009; call (619) 293-1518; e-mail to =
diane.bell@uniontrib.com<mailto:diane.bell@uniontrib.com>; or mail to =
The San Diego Union-Tribune, Box 120191, San Diego 92112-0191.





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