Category Archives for Healthcare

Keep Fido and Fluffy Safe When the Weather Turns Cold

Published in Pawtucket Times, January 10, 2015

According to ABC 6 News, early New Years Day, Toni Liberatore, a Burrillville resident walking her dog in the extremely cold weather, called the Town’s animal control officer after she discovered an elderly Italian Greyhound lying almost unconscious under a truck parked near her home, freezing from the frigid weather.

During the news story, Liberatore  told reporter Samantha Lavien that the severely neglected dog was in bad shape.  She described the female Greyhound as being very thin, having extremely long nails, and diseased teeth.

An emotional distraught Liberatore described the condition of the dog after finding it under the truck.  “She was like holding an ice-cube to my body.  She was frozen.  She was pretty much in and out, said Liberatore. “She couldn’t hold her own head up she was extremely emaciated, I could feel every bone in her body,” she observed

ABC News exclusive story went viral, being placed on Facebook and tweeted throughout the internet, sending the story to all corners of the world.

Burrillville animal control officials moved quickly to save the elderly animal, in need of veterinary care, states Police Lt. John Connors, who oversees the town’s animal control division.  The small Greyhound, showing signs of hypothermia, was immediately transported to an emergency animal clinic for treatment. After emergency care, using heating pads and fluids to increase the animal’s body temperature, the dog, now dubbed Elsa, was than transferred to Northern Rhode Island Animal Hospital for further medical care.

After the first day of medical treatments, the dog’s temperature became normal, noted Lt. Connors.  Elsa was released two days ago.

No Intent of Abuse

Lt. Connors stated that the owner of the dog contacted his department after photos began appearing on Face book on New Years Day.  The dog had accidently escaped from his house on New Years Eve without his knowledge, the owner reported. After a through Burrillville Police investigation, with interviews of family members, friends, and neighbors, no “intent of abuse,” was found, says Lt. Connors. The veterinarian’s report did not indicate or substantiate a criminal charge for abuse or neglect, he says.  As a result, no charges were filed against the animal’s owner.

With latest blast of arctic air approaching Rhode Island, weather reporters noted that yesterday was to be the coldest day of the winter.  Throughout the day temperatures plunged to near zero, with gusts of wind lowering the thermometers to 15 degrees to 25 degrees below zero.

Neglect, abuse or mistakenly believing your pet is inside the  house, like what occurred to the elderly Greyhound in Burrillville, will put animals in severe danger if they are left out in extremely frigid weather.

Keeping Your Pet Safe

There is no excuse to leave animals outside when you go to work especially when the media gives you advanced notice that temperatures are going to plunge below zero, says John Holmes, Pawtucket’s animal control supervisor.

Holmes was prepared to handle dozens of medical emergencies resulting from the frigid weather at the Pawtucket Animal Shelter. “We were staffed, had adequate supplies and equipped to treat animals,” he says.

Although he was prepared, Holmes, a 40-year City employee who oversees two animal control officers, was relieved that only one call came in as the temperatures dropped below zero.  He attributes the lack of calls by the warning of media not to leave pets unattended outside.  “People seem to be paying attention,” he says.

Common sense will tell you when you should not leave your pet outside, says Holmes.  “Put on a warm coat.  Wear heavily gloves and a hat.  If you are cold, it is the same for your pet,” notes Holmes, stressing that people easily think that animals are not cold in frigid weather because of their thick coats of fur.

“This is just not true,” says Holmes.

Frigid Weather and Hypothermia

According to Holmes, frigid weather can result in hypothermia, when an animal’s body is no longer able to maintain normal temperature.  Severe hypothermia can result in coma and ultimately death.  Smaller breeds, very young animals, and older pets are more susceptible to rapid surface loss of body heat, putting them at a higher risk to get hypothermia.

Holmes notes that the symptoms of hypothermia depend on the severity.  These can include shivering, a slow shallow breathing, and weakness in mild cases. Muscle stiffness, low blood pressure, a blank stare, slow and shallow breathing are symptoms in the moderate state and fixed and dilated pupils, a heartbeat that’s hard to find, difficulty in breathing or coma are seen in severe cases of hypothermia.

If hypothermia occurs, Holmes recommends that the animal be wrapped in a warm blanket and quickly transported to a veterinary emergency clinic where treatment can be provided.

It is easy to protecting your pets from the cold weather, adds Holmes. Don’t take elderly, young or sick pets, especially small short haired breeds outdoors unprotected in below zero weather, for long periods of time. Just let them go out in the back yard for a few minutes if necessary. “A short walk around the block won’t hurt your animal,” he says.

Holmes asks that all concerned neighbors who notice dogs being left outside in inclement weather to call his office at the City of Pawtucket’s Animal Shelter.  We would rather be safe than sorry. . “Each and every call is taken very seriously and checked out,” he warns. After an investigation, if it is found that someone knowingly abused or neglected an animal, that person will be prosecuted and held accountable for their actions

Frigid weather is hazardous to your animal’s health. With winter’s temperatures now dipping into single digits, even below zero, make sure you keep your pet safe and warm in your home.  Be responsible.

To report a complaint about alleged animal cruelty: City of Pawtucket, contact John Holmes, Animal Control Supervisor, at 401 722-4243. Or write Animal Control Division, 121 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket, RI 0286. Web site: http://www.pawtucketanimalshelter.org.  Or call 401-722-4243.

Herb Weiss, LRI ’12, is a Pawtucket-based freelance writer that covers medical, aging and health care issues. He can be reached at hweissri@aol.com.

Local Filmmaker Documents Innovative Hunger Project in Maine

Published in Pawtucket Times, January 3, 2015

Last July, long-time Rhode Island resident, John Martin, who filmed the 2013 web-based hunger documentary, “Hungry in the West End,” packed his bags and equipment to head off to rural Northern Maine. Martin, an AARP award-winning AARP filmmaker and AARP’s Communication’s Director, began filming a new short film to put a spotlight on the work of Dale Flewelling, to feed Maine’s hungry. The life-long resident of Houlton in Aroostook County, who founded the of Friends of Aroostock, a nonprofit agency, has worked for nearly seven years to provide fresh locally grown produce and emergency winter fire wood to low-income families throughout Aroostook County.

Maine AARP’s commissioned short film on Flewelling’s efforts, titled “With Friends Like These: Dale Flewelling & Friends of Aroostook,” profiles the retired businessman’s “passionate and charming crusade” to enlist friends, volunteers, leaders and businesses to help seniors in Aroostook and Washington Counties suffering daily from food insecurity.

After watching Martin’s short film (just over 11 minutes), it gives a simple message. By bringing together the community and working together we can put nutritious, fresh food on the tables of the nation’s needy. Creative ways of growing food, like at Aroostock’s farm, should be organized on farms throughout Rhode Island and the nation.

Yes, in hard times getting your hands dirty (by harvesting crops) rather than complaining may well be a simple solution to reducing hunger in America.

Stars Fall in Alignment

Looking back, Martin says, “Some things seem meant to be. There was a last-minute cancellation by a videographer who had been hired to shoot the film for our Maine State Office. In a bind, they turned to me, based on my, “Hungry in the West End,” he says.

Martin, a former Providence Journal reporter, says, “This was a dream assignment. The location was gorgeous. Overnight rained stopped right on cue. People were doing things more than talking about things, which is a lot better way of telling a story. I chose to follow Dale around during part of the day rather than sit him down for an interview. He is not big on sitting and, so, that may have been the best decision I made. And at the end of the day he insisted on loading me up with green beans, Maine potatoes dug that very afternoon, tomatoes and zucchini. How good is that?”

According to Martin, first impression of the town of Houlton was that of a community hit hard by the nation’s recent recession. “Last summer, no one was talking much about an economic recovery there,” he remembers. After an overnight stay at a trucker’s motel, Martin began his filming at Aroostook Farm at 5:30 a.m. “I was pretty shocked to see volunteers already at work picking string beans,” he says.

Martin notes that Flewelling is as charming in real life as he comes across in the film, observing that his work has added tremendous meaning to his retirement.

“It only occurred to me recently that I thought I was making a hunger film, but as far as AARP is concerned, it also is a great example of Life Reimagined – AARP’s resource for making life decisions, adapting to change and developing next-chapter careers,” says Martin, adding that Flewelling “personifies the benefits of identifying your “what next” opportunity and pursuing a dream.”
“He is so connected to the earth and growing food. You have to give him credit for finding a great place to focus his energy in his life after running a business,” states Marin.

“Also, for me the day at Aroostook revealed the great need the community faces,” Martin added. “In contrast to the urban poverty that frames the issue in the West End of Providence, here you find people who lived well for generations in rural Maine who are increasingly unable to meet their monthly expenses based on little or no personal savings and sometimes minimal Social Security benefits”.

But either way, these seniors are worried about outliving their resources, he says.

We Can Be Part of the Solution

“My conclusion after spending six months reporting in the West End [in Providence] was that government can do only so much; non-profits are helping as best they; but volunteers can make a huge difference. I hope that both Hungry in the West End and With Friends Like These sparks recognition that when you volunteer to help feed struggling seniors, the feeling you get back is a tremendous reward. We all can be part of the solution. And younger people, especially, need to pay it forward because some day they may be the ones needing help,” says Martin.

Dale Flewelling, executive director of the Friends of Aroostook, says “Generally speaking, a young organization such as Friends of Aroostook has to make a decision whether to utilize financial resources to build capacity or spend money on publicity and awareness. Like many, if not most, we choose to build capacity. To have John travel all the way from Rhode Island to Northern Maine and committing many hours and his talents to produce this film is almost overwhelming.“

“Words can’t describe the benefit this film brings to our programs. Friends of Aroostook and the hungry we serve own a heartfelt thank you to John, AARP Maine State Director Lori Parham and everyone at AARP who address the hunger needs within our less fortunate population, adds Flewelling, noting that this problem “is not going away. “But as you can see, people can make a big difference. So the film means a lot.”

Getting People Involved

“One of the results of Dale’s work at Aroostook Farm is that people see him in action out in the fields and better understand both the importance of the work and Dale’s ability to get people involved,” says Lori Parham, State Director, AARP Maine:

Parham says actually seeing people work the farm land makes it far “less intimidating” for those who might be reluctant to seek out or ask for help. “As the film shows, the neediest seniors are actually helping others – they pick a bag for themselves, and then pick a bag for someone else. We knew that capturing these images and sentiments in a short video would be a great way to illustrate Dale’s efforts to relieve hunger in Maine,” she says..

“John knows a lot about senior hunger and he is a great visual storyteller. We hope that the film inspires people from across Maine and other parts of the country to join in similar movements to engage entire communities and create a shared resource that, quite literally, can grow from season to season, notes Parham.

To watch, “With Friends Like These,” go to http://states.aarp.org/category/rhode-island/.

Herb Weiss, LRI ’12, is a Pawtucket-based writer covering Aging, Health Care and Medical issues. He can be reached at hweissri@aol.com.