One Los Angeles pastor is using his religious conviction to validate the beginning of pet services at the Covenant Presbyterian Church, in efforts to add vitality to the spiritual community.
Reverend Tom Eggebeen, who has been a pastor in a Los Angeles at the church for three years, began noticing that church attendance and enthusiasm had begun to wane, the Associated Press reports.
As a remedy, the reverend began offering 30-minute services with doggie beds, canine-specific prayers and an offering of dog treats. He hopes that these measures will provide solace to elderly parishioners and attract new worshippers who wish to make prayer a part of elemental pet care.
"The Bible says that God is love, and wherever there’s love, there’s God in some fashion," Eggebeen explained to the news source. He added, "When we love a dog and a dog loves us, that’s a part of God and God is a part of that. So we honor it."
Though traditional Christians believe only humans have redeemable souls, a survey by Laura Hobgood-Oster, a religion professor at Southwestern University, revealed that more than 500 blessings for animals have been undertaken in churches across the country.
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Pastor turns God’s house into doghouse
Dogs may help kids learn to read
Medical studies have linked pet care to better exercise habits, lower blood pressure and improved psychological health in humans. Even simply petting a dog can provide the soothing conditions to lower heart rates and reduce stress. Now, pet experts are saying that having a dog in the house may help small children learn how to read.
Kathy Klotz, director of Intermountain Therapy Animals – a nonprofit organization that specializes in animal-assisted physical, occupational and speech therapy – has begun a new nationwide program called Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ).
The organizer based her program on the belief that children who are new readers may feel judged or intimidated by human listeners, and can benefit from a supportive, passive friend, CNN reports.
"One factor that turned out to be really important, is that the child feels like they’re letting the dog understand the story," Klotz told the news source. "They get to be the teacher, the storyteller, the one who knows more than the dog for a change."
While humans continue to enjoy the benefits of pet ownership, the North American Pet Health Insurance Association says that veterinary pet insurance can be used to protect pet health and ensure the financial stability of the pet’s family.
Haunted hounds make debut on Animal Planet
Yes, dogs can hear sounds at a greater range of frequencies than humans; but do they also have access to a realm of apparitions unseen by humankind? On Sunday, November 22, Animal Planet will debut a television program which investigates true stories of pet owners who claim their animals are sensitive to paranormal activities.
The new series, called The Haunted, details the stories of real people who claim abnormal events, like terrifying fires or violent experiments, occurred in their houses hundreds of years ago. After witnessing ghastly activities contributors to the show claim that their dogs and cats are the first to respond to the apparent presence of specters and ghosts.
In one episode, a family performs an exorcism to eliminate the demons that have been afflicting them and their dog though a series of disturbing events. In another tale, a mother and father find bloody handprints appearing on their walls, months after a pattern of mysterious behavior from the family dog.
While most insurance plans may not cover complications with paranormal spirits, the North American Pet Health Insurance Association says that veterinary pet insurance can be used to protect pet health and ensure the financial stability of the pet’s family.
Guinness names Otto World’s Oldest Dog
This week, Guinness World Records confirmed that the oldest living dog is a 20-year-old dachshund and terrier cross, living in Shrewsbury, England.
Otto, the vigorous hound, gained the title after the reigning record holder Chanel – also a dachshund – passed away in August, three months after turning 21, the Associated Press reports.
Lynn and Peter Jones, who have owned Otto since he was 6 weeks old, say that the secret to longevity is simple: a good diet, plenty of love and a bedtime at 8 p.m. sharp.
"He’s still going strong," Peter Jones told the news source. "In the last couple of years he’s got a bit of arthritis, but apart from that he’s quite well."
Though he might not be up for a walk each day, Mrs. Jones notes, "he’s still sprightly." A spirited walk may be considered an accomplishment for a dog that is nearly 147 in human years.
Guinness reports that the oldest dog on record was an Australian cattle dog that lived for 29 years and 5 months. According to the U.S. Humane Society, 12.8 years is the average life span of the average American or European dog.
One man’s financial problem: Watchdog consumer
"The dog ate my homework." The feeble excuse has been used so often it has become a common American aphorism, and motto of the lethargic. One video game aficionado, however, woke up last week to find that his dog, Oscar, had somehow purchased 5,000 Microsoft points on his Xbox Live gaming system.
A writer named Greg on the video game blog Kotaku admits that in the past, Oscar has chewed up and torn apart pillows, sox, candles, toilet paper and bottles. This time, Greg awoke to find that his Xbox controller had been gnawed on during the night, and $62.50 worth of online Microsoft Points had been purchased.
After some elementary sleuthing, the dog owner concluded that Oscar, in a frenzy of chewing, somehow managed to press the buttons necessary to turn on the videogame system, enter the online store and purchase the points, which can be used toward Xbox merchandise.
Lenient in his pet care, Greg wrote on the blog, "All in all, I’m not mad. A bunch of new games to keep me busy and a reason to finally go buy that black controller I’ve been wanting."
While training dogs, the U.S. Humane Society recommends positive reinforcement and ignoring undesirable responses as the most effective methods.