Peak Pets 2019

Behavior & Training | Health | Life with Pets | Exotics

A supplement to the

June 12, 2019

Fostering prepares dogs for family life

Sleepovers let shelter pups relax, become social. Page 8.

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE

2 - PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Animals are family I

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know I’m not alone in believing my pets aren’t just like family; they are family.

So when my 7-year-old boxer/Australian shepherd (“American mutt”) Bentley tore his cranial cruciate ligament — the canine equivalent of an ACL — I was a wreck.

I took a brief hiatus from journalism in 2010 to pursue a master’s degree in animal shelter management. During that time I worked as a vet tech for Countryside Animal Hospital, a small clinic in Fort Collins, Colorado, so I know a bit about veterainary medicine.

Countryside hosted specialists from time to time for the same procedure Bentley needed: a tibial-plateau-leveling osteotomy, better known as a TPLO. Unlike in humans, when dogs tear their doggie ACL, the tendon isn’t repaired. Rather, the bone is cut and readjusted so the stifle (dog knee) is stabilized. A plate is inserted in the process.

Sound freaky? I didn’t really think so until I had to picture my dog going through it.

I dropped Bentley off May 3 at Jackson Animal Hospital for surgery, and I admit I cried when I left the clinic. As noted in a story on page 14, animals can be an important part of our lives. Bentley is definitely an important part of mine.

As I waited for a call from his surgeon, I thought a lot about why I didn’t buy pet insurance when Bentley was a pup. As you can imagine, orthopedic procedures are not cheap. I guess I’m like most people: No one thinks they need pet insurance until they do (see page 10), but it turns out these injuries are common in our active environment, both in humans and dogs.

To cut to the chase, Bentley did great in surgery and he’s been recovering amazingly well. Though physical therapy doesn’t take nearly as long as for humans, the process comes with different challenges. You try keeping an active, 60-pound dog from jumping. It’s not easy.

Just recently we started hydrotherapy — or what I call “aqua puppering.” Unlike some dogs, Bentley picked it up immediately. He has always loved to swim, and since he’s been leash-restricted since his injury, I think he knows this is the closest

MELISSA CASSUTT / NEWS&GUIDE

We do what we can for our pets because they are family, right? Hydrotherapy, or “aqua puppering,” is part of Bentley’s physical therapy for a torn CCL, the equivalent of a human ACL.

he’s going to get to adventure in the immediate future. (Anthropomorphizing, you say? I don’t care.)

As you can tell, animals are important to me, so it makes sense this is one of my favorite special sections among those the News&Guide produces — and not just because I get to brag about my dog. The staff ’s creativity tends to pop on the page when they’re writing about animals.

Those who don’t normally write headlines were inspired to make some suggestions (see pages 3 and 9). A story about a teenager and a parrot includes so many funny quotes that you won’t stop laughing (see page 20). And I can’t overstate how excited I am about the “shell-elbrity” on page 18, or the story on service dogs on page 12, which won’t get you laughing but, rather, thinking.

Need more? Close your eyes and pick a page — all of the stories, which cover behavior and training, pet health and features on life with pets and exotics — speak to why I love this section. Peak Pets allows all of us to appreciate the creatures around us, those that wake us up in the mornings, those that accompany us on the trails and in the snow, those that comfort us when we need a friend.

Whether a bird, cat or an American mutt like Bentley, pets make their way into our homes and our hearts, just like family.

No, as family.

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PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 3

#JHPEAKPETS INSTAGRAM WINNER

KAT ABRAMS / COURTESY PHOTO

The most liked submission to the #JHPeakPets Instagram photo contest is this picture of Summit in Escalante, Utah.

Pup for adventure Did you leave your car door open?

Summit, the 2019 #JHPeakPets winner, just might jump in.

By Leonor Grave

F

or years Kat Abrams dreamed of getting a dog.

So when her Jackson housing situation finally allowed for one three years ago, she adopted a golden retriever puppy she named Summit.

Summit has a tendency to pant, which give the impression of a permanent smile plastered on his furry face. True to appearance, he’s also eager to meet new people and greet them with an outstretched tongue.

Abrams and Summit live together in a rustic log cabin in Wilson, where he gets to play all day in an expansive yard. He spends most of his time wandering outside, snoozing in the garage in the summer and in tall, cushy piles of snow in the winter.

Abrams didn’t plan to start an Instagram account for Summit — he is a dog, after all — but after she posted a picture of her carrying him as a 34-pound puppy in her pack during a hike in the Wind River Range, she realized his photogenic potential.

“We put him in a pack when he was a small puppy, and since then we’ve done any and everything between,” Abrams said.

“He’s a good adventure buddy.”

All of Summit’s best angles can be found on his Instagram at @summitadventurepup.

The smiley dog’s photogenic adventures also won him 372 votes in the #JHPeakPets Insta-

gram competition, making him the 2019 winner.

Since Abrams created it, the account has garnered far more attention than she could have imagined. Summit is even recognized in public when the two of them are hiking Snow King.

His pet celebrity status scored him an invitation to a high school graduation, to which Abrams didn’t even get an invite.

Though Summit turned 3 this past St. Patrick’s Day and can’t really be said to be a puppy anymore, the golden retriever still commands the attention of any room he saunters into with shiny golden locks that would make any Pantene model jealous.

When Summit is not with Abrams he’s most likely with her boyfriend, Will Murphy, who lives near Snow King — a common haunt for the hikers.

“He’s probably hiked more in his three years than I have in my life,” Murphy said. “Every time we go hiking up and down the trail you’ll see him and he’s just hundreds of yards ahead of you. He loves the trails.”

This summer Abrams hopes to take Summit along with her on lengthier runs and hikes, especially in the Wind River Range. Having him has motivated her to get out of her outdoor comfort zone.

“Before I had him I spent really all my time in [Grand Teton National Park],” Abrams said.

“And now with him it’s really cool to go explore new areas.”

With his affable personality, Summit makes for an easy travel companion.

“We don’t have to worry about him around other dogs or other people or kids,” Abrams said.

“He’s very friendly and affectionate.”

Sometimes too much so. Its’s not unusual for Summit to take an open car door as an invitation. He feels the same about ski lifts. Once, when Abrams was in Teton Village, she got a call from ski patrol: Summit was trying to board the gondola with an unsuspecting crowd.

He can’t help it. He’s born to be social.

“Everywhere we go he is way more social than we both are,” Abrams said.

The one thing Summit can’t resist is playing with water.

He’s usually pretty obedient to Abrams’ instruction, except when it comes time to get him away from water. At the cabin, he likes to run down the road and lie down in a drainage ditch until Abrams convinces him to get out.

He also loves snow, even though it has weighed him down. Three winters ago, when Murphy was skiing on the pass on a day with heavy, wet snow, Summit became too loaded with snowballs to walk on his own. Murphy carried him in a skein in his arms as he skied down the mountain.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him happier,” Murphy said.

“He was just hanging out, skiing. He had the biggest smile, tongue out. When we stopped he was trying to get right back into my arms.”

At the end of the day Summit is a reliable companion for Abrams’ and Murphy’s adventures, wherever life takes them, which in their case includes over a dozen states and places outside the United States.

“As much as the country as I’ve seen, he’s seen just as

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE

Summit is a 3-year-old golden retriever who lives in Wilson with his people, Will Murphy and Kat Abrams.

much,” Abrams said. “He’s been to Canada, to the desert, to beaches. He’s been everywhere and seen more than maybe a lot of people would see in their lifetime. Which is really cool.”

Contact Leonor Grave at leonor@jhnewsandguide. com or 732-7076.

Floofs and Fluff Wanted Think your critter has what it takes to be the next Jackson Hole Peak Pet? Follow @jhnewsandguide on Instagram to watch for the 2020 #JHPeakPets contest.

4 - PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Behavior & Training

Petiquette makes for great neighbors Picking up poop and paying attention is a good start.

Bring your pet

By Brennan Hussey

T

here are many challenges that come along with owning a dog in a town that has snow on the ground at least six months of the year, an abundance of wildlife and a fiercely competitive rental market with little pet-friendly housing.

But some challenges can be negated with just a little forethought and focus on being a good steward to your pet and those who will be interacting with Fido on the trails or in town. Consider it good pet etiquette or “petiquette.” (See what we did there?)

Andrea La Fevers started Jackson Powder Hounds, a customized dog walking service, in 2016 to help owners with their dogs, though at that time it was primarily a dog walking service.

“I thought it’d be the best job ever to be with dogs all day, be outside and help people with their busy lives,” La Fevers said.

After two years of walks, however, La Fevers noticed her clients were also looking for help with their pet’s behavior.

“Training that helps the dogs be physically stimulated but also mentally stimu-

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE

Andrea La Fevers said she became a canine coach to help clients in her dog walking and pet sitting service, Jackson Powder Hounds. She now works with dogs to improve onleash and heeling skills and curb jumping and barking problems.

lated so that when they come home they’re well behaved,” La Fevers said.

For La Fevers, mental stimulation begins when she enters the dog’s home to take them on a walk. For example, if a dog is waiting in a kennel, she won’t approach the dog with the leash until it is calm.

Mind your manners There are a number of things owners can do to be respectful pet owner, including: • Respect shared spaces with humans • Keep your pets a safe distance from wildlife

• Pick up your pet’s poop (and extra for poop karma!)

• Yield to others on sidewalks and trails • Keep your dog under voice control in offleash areas

Mental stimulation might also mean stopping a walk until a dog stops pulling on the leash.

“It’s actually kind of therapeutic for a dog. It’s not aggressive or dominant. We don’t use fear and it’s also not all about treats,” she said. “It’s about challenging them to get back in their thinking brain.”

Off leash if under control

There also seems to be a strong desire to have an off-leash dog, La Fevers said.

While there are several areas in town that allow dogs to be off-leash, they must be under “voice control.” This means your dog should respond to your command on the first call, even if he is out of sight

While there are some areas that pets aren’t allowed (see below), there are petfriendly areas in Teton County.

Off-leash areas (dogs must be under voice control) • PAWS of Jackson Hole dog park (temporary; winter only) • Emily’s Pond levee • Snow King Mountain (however, dogs are not allowed in Phil Baux Park) • Cache Creek trails (leash required in parking areas) • Old Pass Road • Philips Ridge On-leash areas • Rendezvous Park • Bike paths • Elk Refuge Road Sorry, pet lovers — no pets allowed • Town of Jackson parks • Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks — on-leash pets are allowed in parking lots and along roads, but not on trails or in the backcountry

or distracted. Dogs under voice control should also yield on command to fellow hikers or bikers, a common courtesy on multiuse trails.

“A lot of dog owners feel the pressure to take their dogs off leash before their ready. Potentially putting their dogs in danger with wildlife,” La Fevers said.

For dog owners that are still trying to teach voice control, the PAWS Dog Park can be a good place to practice. Unfortunately, it’s only an option in the winter.

At least, for now.

See Petiquette on 5

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PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 5

Behavior & Training

It’s the law

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE

La Fevers demonstrates an exercise that rewards pups for holding eye contact with their handler. “We don’t use fear, and it’s also not all about treats,” she said. “It’s about challenging them to get back in their thinking brain.”

Petiquette

Keep an eye out

Continued from 4

PAWS of Jackson Hole is spearheading efforts to bring a year-round park to the community, a move that “would be beneficial to our local wildlife as well as our human shared spaces,” PAWS of Jackson Hole Program Director Jess Farr said.

“A contained safe area for dogs to run freely would take dogs who may like to chase wildlife or are learning their trail etiquette and recall skills out of the offleash trail mix,” Farr said.

If it takes a leash to make your dog a good boy, leash restraint may be the best option, even in off-leash areas. But your dog’s ability to come on command isn’t the only thing that contributes to petiquette.

PAWS stocks 23 stations near petfriendly places with 150,000 free mutt mitts annually, Farr said. The free bags, along with trail ambassadors armed with prizes for pet owners who are playing by the rules, are an attempt to encourage owners to follow the golden rule of owning a pet: pick up the poop.

“Out walking three dogs, pick up at least three piles as a minimum regardless if your dog goes,” Farr said.

Adventure-minded owners should also be mindful of their dog in other ways, including when they’ve taken their pup on a long hike, out on the river or on a backcountry skiing adventure. Teton Pass Ambassador Jay Pistono sees dogs on the pass frequently.

Teton County and the town of Jackson have a few pet-related regulations — most of which come with fines if you’re not following the rules. Do you know the laws? Some are as follows: • Dogs and cats age 3 months and older must be vaccinated for rabies. Proof of vaccination is the first step to registering a pet, an annual fee of $10 for intact animals and $5 for spayed or neutered animals. Dogs that are off their owner’s property are required to be wearing a license tag. Dogs less than 4 months of age are exempt from registration.

No registration? Pay $25 Registration but no tag? $25 Get right with the law: Licenses can be purchased at the town of Jackson, 150 E. Pearl Ave.; the Jackson/Teton County Animal Shelter, 3150 Adams Canyon Drive; or at any veterinarian’s office.

• Owners of dogs who are “at large” (not leashed, not under voice control, not in a car, generally just roaming around ... you get the idea) are “guilty of a misdemeanor,” according to Teton County regulations.

First conviction: Not more than $50 Second: Not more than $100 Owners also are responsible for restitution should their pet damage any property or cause harm while on the lam.

• Along similar lines, if your pet is picked up and impounded, there’s a fee to pick him up from the Jackson/Teton County Animal Shelter. Owners have seven days to pick up their pet before he can be adopted out.

First offense: $25 Second offense within 12 months: $35 Three times within a year?!: $50 Fourth time ... come on, now: $100 Owners are also subject to a $15 fee for every day the dog is housed at the shelter after the first 24 hours.

• An animal found “vicious” or that “has a propensity to bite” again may be euthanized by court order. Same rules apply for a dog that has injured or killed wildlife.

“All dogs will do their best to do whatever their owners are up to,” Teton Pass Ambassador Jay Pistono said.

It’s a “good idea,” he said, to keep a pet’s “ability in mind and design the trip about what they can do,” he said.

Especially around water.

“You have to be mindful as a dog owner of where you allow your dog to go swimming and look out for strainers,” said La Fevers, who previously worked as a river guide.

Mindfulness concerning your pets is

not exclusively for intense outdoor adventures. La Fevers encourages owners to incorporate this thinking in everyday pet practices like taking your dogs on mindfulness walks.

Refrain from listening to music. Maybe leave your cellphone at home. Start paying attention to your breath, she said.

“When an owner becomes more present, so does their dog.”

Contact Brennan Hussey via 732-7076 or valley@jhnewsandguide.com.​

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6 - PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Behavior & training

Don’t be just a dog lover — be a friend T

here are lots of things in life that hands, make direct eye contact, and show fall into the category of “no-brain- teeth. Hugs and kisses are also signs of ers,” and meeting an unfamiliar affection. Humans consider this politely dog, for most folks, is one of them. We affiliative behavior, and are nothing but all know how to do it ... right? well-intentioned when greeting a dog in The world is full of dog lovers, and that manner. many of them can be found right here Add to this that dog-loving humans in Jackson. I spend a lot of time working generally find talking to, looking at and with dogs in the town setting — social- touching dogs rewarding — and assume izing puppies, working on the dog will find it rewarding, manners with dogs or just too. “If I love petting dogs, keeping my own up to snuff they must love it too, right?” in complex situations. So I Often meeting a dog means have been a part of a good touching the dog, even though number of people greetmany dogs (just like many ing an unfamiliar dog, most people) don’t actually like beoften visitors who are terriing touched by strangers. bly missing their own furry Think about how a sofriend at home. cially appropriate dog typiMost people abide by one cally greets another socially of a handful of traditional appropriate unfamiliar dog: Krissi Goetz strategies when meeting an They circle around, sniff unfamiliar canine: Leaning over and rears. There’s no direct approach, no sticking their hand or fist at the dog’s direct eye contact, no reaching out or nose, or immediately reaching out to pet over, certainly no squealing, hugging or on top of head are the most frequent showing of teeth.

So perhaps greeting an unfamiliar dog ones I’ve seen. Some will even stare into a dog’s eyes, want to grab to hug or kiss isn’t quite a no-brainer. To do it well, in the dog, squeal in excitement or rush up fact, requires quite a bit of observation, understanding and restraint — and not to an unfamiliar canine.

Which of these would you consider just for you. Teaching our kids to meet appropriate and which not? Which would dogs politely means safer kids and more empathetic dog lovers in the future. you allow someone to do to your dog?

Here’s the three steps to appropriUnfortunately, none of these typical greetings are really ideal, and, in fact, ately meet an unfamiliar dog: can signal a threat to a dog.

While dog-loving folks are gener- 1. Ask the owner.

The good news is that the majority of ally well intentioned, they usually are in the human mindset. When we as people people seem to be doing this these days. greet a friendly but unfamiliar human, But remember: No means no, regardless both cultural and instinctual norms dic- of how cute the puppy is. If the answer tate that we generally face them directly, is yes, move to step two. If no owner is lean forward, reach out and over to shake present, leave the dog alone.

Good Dog

2. Ask the dog.

Orient yourself with your side to the dog and keep your hands to yourself.

This can work well to convey to a dog you mean no harm.

If the dog seems indifferent to you, turns away from you, backs away, moves behind his person, seems tense and rigid, barks or growls, the dog is telling you no. Even if the owner says yes and tries to get the dog to engage with you, if the dog says no, respect its wishes and stop your attempts to engage.

If the dog approaches you all waggy and relaxed, if the dog touches you gently and seems comfortable and interested in meeting you, if the dog throws himself on his back with a big grin and asks for a belly rub, the answer is yes.

Proceed to step three.

3. Interact with the dog.

Dogs have a blind spot on top of their head and don’t really like being touched there. They also don’t love being tapped on. Instead, scratch under their chins or on the chest, or slowly stroke along their back or sides. Or their belly, if there’s a belly rub solicitation!

Although most folks are unaware of how best to greet a dog they don’t know, in my experience most are quite happy to take a little coaching. Be your dog’s advocate when out and about; offer direction to dog greeters and don’t allow any inappropriate behavior from the humans.

Also watch for the signs from your dog that she isn’t really interested, and don’t force her to endure meeting people if she’d rather not. Even social dogs can tire of being petted, so learn

to spot when your outgoing dog has had enough. If you have a dog that isn’t into meeting strangers, politely refuse greeting requests right off the bat.

A little education can go a long way. I like to think that ever y person who meets a dog I am working with learns something that will make the world a little better for dogs — those they meet in the future, and perhaps even their own. And that dog, meanwhile, is learning its feelings will be respected.

“While dog-loving folks are generally well intentioned, they usually are in the human mindset .”

— Krissi Goetz JH Positive Training

It’s a testament to the superbly forgiving nature of dogs that blundering human offenses are tolerated, again and again and again. But it isn’t necessary to test the patience or good nature of a dog you don’t know. To be a true friend of dogs, rather than just a dog lover, learn how to properly greet dogs you don’t know, and show them the world is full of trustworthy and understanding humans.

Krissi Goetz is a trainer with JH Positive Training. Contact her via columnists@jhnewsandguide.com.

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PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 7

WONDERING IF YOU SHOULD PET THAT DOG? Reading dog behavior is a bit of a science, but paying attention to some key signals can help you decide if you should extend a hand or not.

I see a dog and I want to pet it.

I want to pet it so bad.

Yes.

Does the dog want to be petted?

Is the owner there?

Yes.

Does the dog look ...

Did you ask the owner’s permision

No.

Anxious, scared Ears down, tail down, “whale eye”

No.

Don’t pet the dog.

Agitated, threatening Hackles up, barking

No.

Signs a dog is stressed Did you know these common behaviors can signal stress?

Crouch down, parallel to the dog’s side, let it sniff you.

Did the dog... ... approach you? ... lick your hand? ... show interest in being petted?

Yawning

Licking nose

CONTENT BY MELISSA CASSUTT

At attention, ears up

Relaxed, friendly Tail wagging, curved body, wiggling, play bowing

Yes.

Pet the dog gently.

Scratching

Suspicious

Pet the dog!

Shake off

ANDY EDWARDS / NEWS&GUIDE

8 - PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Behavior & Training

Fostering prepares dogs for family life On sleepovers shelter pups relax, become social.

By Allie Gross

N

early every night a fifth dog in need joins Kelly Neubauer at home with her Chihuahua, puggle, cockapoo and hound.

“I found myself needing to contribute,” Neubauer said, “and this is how I could do it.”

Neubauer is a regular foster caregiver on a list of nearly 400 community members who take in the Animal Adoption Center’s dogs for “sleepovers.” From reducing stress to increasing adoptability to improving behavior, foster homes provide a long list of benefits to homeless pets, executive director Carrie Boynton said.

“That our community is willing to open their homes to 2,500 sleepovers a year, I think that says a lot about the philanthropic nature and our community’s desire to help homeless animals,” Boynton said. “That’s exceptional.”

Overnight visits

Each day and for weekends — Friday through Tuesday — foster caregivers pick up the animals between 4 and 6 p.m. at the Adoption Center, where they are provided with food and a crate, harness and leash. The dogs are dropped back off between 9 a.m. and noon the next day for potential adopters to come meet and walk them.

Adoption counselor Jenna Stafford said the staff works hard at matching dogs and foster homes.

“We want to make sure we’re sending home a dog that’s going to thrive in your home,” Stafford said. “We would hate to send home a puppy if you want an older couch potato.”

enhancing adoptability

BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE PHOTOS

Kelly Neubauer greets Boscoe as she picks him up from the Animal Adoption Center for an overnight stay at her home. Neubauer said she has fostered more than 60 animals since she began volunteering in 2014.

How to foster You can fill out an application at AnimalAdoptionCenter.org. and animals.”

reducing Stress

Even one night in a foster home proDogs often come to the Animal vides a lot of information about a dog, Adoption Center from other overcrowdStafford said. That makes the adoption ed shelters throughout the region. Upon process easier, because the shelter can pro- arrival they’re stressed and scared, said vide potential adopters with more detailed Eva Perrigo, a certified dog trainer and information about what the dog is like. behavior counselor. She said the uncom“The fosters report back to us daily, fortable shelter environment can augsaying, ‘Hey, her housebreaking is really ment bad behavior in dogs, like excessive great, she’ll ask to go to the door, maybe jumping or barking, spinning and “fulldon’t feed her around other dogs, she blown panic attacks.” loves kids,’” Stafford said.

“It can be a very stressful environment The overnight caregivers also get the for animals,” Perrigo said. “It’s loud. animal out into the community, meeting They’re very isolated. Dogs are very sopeople. You’ve probably seen an Adop- cial animals, so being in isolated kennels tion Center dog out and about wearing an separated from humans and other dogs “Adopt Me” vest. can be stressful.”

Boynton said But fostering the foster caregiv“It’s not rare helps the dogs ers are “incredcalm down. Mca foster cries dropping Donald thinks ible advocates” for the dogs, showof it as providing the dog back off ing them off to an animal “a soft friends, posting place to land.” because about them on “It gives these social media and dogs a new outtaking them out they love them so much.” look on life and lets into the world.

— Jenna Stafford them know that Heather Mcpeople are out there animal adoption center counselor Donald, a regular, who are kind, and said she once took really want to have a Chihuahua she was fostering with her a dog, and are ready and willing to take on to a haircut. Her hairdresser ultimately the responsibility,” McDonald said. adopted the dog.

Neubauer once took in a shepherd“People will stop you, especially if you’re husky mix that had been tied up under a out walking in public and they have on the trampoline for her whole life.

‘Adopt Me’ vest,” McDonald said.

“She came over with absolutely no Dogs also gain “life skills” while in a foster home, which can aid in their adoption. social skills at all, and she was a big dog “It socializes them,” McDonald said. and she was scared,” Neubauer said.

Fostering allowed the dog to decom“When they can come into [my] home press, and after a few nights the dog rewhere I have a dog and a cat, they get used to being around other animals. As alized she was home.

A recent study measured cortisol, a an active member of the community I’m out and about, I take them with me in hormone indicating stress in dogs, bethe car, take them out on walks. They fore and after short-term sleepovers. get to socialize and meet other people The study found that across shelters,

Neubauer walks Boscoe with Ella, one of her own pets, at the South Park Feedground.

Time away from the shelter gives dogs an opportunity to exercise. Being with people and other dogs also develops their social skills, making them more adoptable. Plus there’s the exposure. The dogs might meet people who want to make them part of their family.

temporary foster homes reduced stress hormones in dogs.

open to willing homes

Anyone who’s willing to open their home can foster with the Animal Adoption Center.

“It can be people who are not in a position to be able to take a dog home permanently but they do want to help an animal out or want to share their lives with animals,” Perrigo. “It can be people who are searching, who want to adopt.

It gives them an opportunity to feel out what it’s like to have an animal in the home or to find the right fit.”

Saying goodbye after temporarily hosting a dog in your home can be tough.

Sometimes a foster home results in a “foster failure,” Boynton said, in which the foster family ends up adopting the animal. Or they just develop a relationship.

“It’s not rare a foster cries dropping the dog back off because they love them so much,” Stafford said.

It might not be goodbye, though. McDonald said she often runs into past foster dogs out in the community with their

adopted families.

new programs coming Nancy Buskirk is the volunteer coordinator at the Jackson/Teton County Animal Shelter. She is working to get new foster programs off the ground for the animals housed there. A “foster-toadopt” program would offer potential adopters to take animals for “a test run.”

“It does take a lot of pressure off,” Buskirk said. Adopting is “a big decision; it’s an important decision. We want people to make it wisely. We don’t want the dog to be coming back.”

Buskirk is also looking into programs that would place animals who require intensive medical care in the homes of more experienced foster caregivers, and a program that would allow approved fosters to take a dog out on a hike or for a sleepover.

“It’s a great way for people who are in a position where they can’t have an animal to still really make a change in an animal’s life,” Perrigo said.

Contact Allie Gross at 732-7063 or county@jhnewsandguide.com.

PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 9

health

What the Huck is this dog’s ancestry?

DNA tests can give you the lowdown about your shelter dog’s genetics, but it may not tell you everything.

By Tom Hallberg

M

eet Huck. He’s a pound puppy I adopted nearly six years ago in Boise, Idaho.

I can tell you lots of things about Huck. He’s built like a horse and uses his long legs as bludgeons when wrestling with other dogs. He’ll eat almost anything, kibbles to compost. Mountain biking and backcountry skiing are his favorite activities, but he won’t turn down a good nap session and he doesn’t like to get out of bed early in the morning.

One thing I can’t tell you about Huck is his breed.

The Idaho Humane Society told me he was a German wire-haired pointer and border collie mix. Given that the average border collie could walk underneath him, it’s unlikely he has much of that lineage. Based on the input of his veterinarians I’ve started telling people he’s an Irish wolfhound-Lab mix.

But who knows? It’s been a mystery, but recently I gave him a DNA test, provided to the News&Guide by Embark, one of the producers of the tests. Unfortunately, the results didn’t come in before press time, but see the sidebar for information on how you can guess what he is and win a prize, as well as find out the results once they’re in.

“Even if that dog is 20% border collie that doesn’t mean it will act the way people expect a border collie to act.”

— Ashlea King proFESSIONAL dog trainer

Knowing Huck’s genetic makeup is a curiosity for me, not a necessity. But for some dog owners, the breed assigned to their new family member at the shelter can have serious consequences.

“There are unfortunately cities with sweeping legislation against all bully breeds,” said Amanda Penn, general manager at the Animal Adoption Center. “In addition to pit bulls that includes boxers and bulldogs. It can be hard to adopt anything with a short muzzle.”

Jackson lacks such legislation, and Penn said people here are open to owning all sorts of dogs, including those seen as undesirable in some places. That being said, some breeds seem to be more popular.

“Around here we see a lot of working dogs like heelers or shepherds, and that’s what people want,” Penn said.

Though the populace here is perhaps less discerning about breed than in other places, the Adoption Center still has to assign one to the animals it has. Calling it something, even if that something is just an educated guess, gives potential pet parents an idea of what the dog might be like.

Adoption Center staffers, like in most shelters around the country, use visual clues to help them make a determination. Things like size, shape and color can be giveaways, as can more nuanced features like the shape of the head. Dogs like heelers and poodles are noticeably unique, making them easier to identify, but some evade easy classification.

“If we have no idea, we try to be educated in our guesses,” Penn said. “We can’t guarantee it 100 percent. We’ll sometimes label them as a heeler mix or a shepherd mix, or we can just call them a mixed breed.”

Studies have found that visual identification is accurate a measly 10% to 15% of the time, said certified professional dog trainer Ashlea King, so for those unsatisfied with calling their dog a mixed breed, or the more lowbrow term “mutt,” enter the DNA test. The test, usually just a cheek swab the pet parent sends to the lab, can reveal a variety of things.

First, of course, the test can list the breeds that collide in any particular dog, and many include percentages indicating which are the dominant ones. From that information many of the tests will compile lists of potential character attributes and health problems. Though it may not be true in all facets of life, the expensive tests are truly worth it, Penn said, as they offer more detailed, accurate results.

However, that information may not be entirely helpful.

“Even if that dog is 20% border collie that doesn’t mean it will act the way people expect a border collie to act,” said King, who has worked with and in animal shelters for 12 years.

Knowing the breeds that make up your dog can be fun, and will help you answer the question most commonly

REBECCA NOBLE / NEWS&GUIDE

Huck, the 6 1/2-year-old mystery mutt in question, knows nothing about his ancestry. We asked him.

asked of all weird-looking pups: What is that? But King said the knowledge may not offer as much predictive benefit as an owner might hope for. The way DNA interacts is difficult to say, and just because a dog is part German shepherd doesn’t mean it will suffer from hip dysplasia later in life, for example.

Switching the basic descriptor for a dog from breed to personality would be helpful, King said. Because of the interplay between all the breeds that can make up a dog — sometimes as many as five or more — shelters could help potential dog parents by categorizing their canines by char-

What is that dog?

Do you have some skills guessing what your friends’ weird dogs are? Put them to use and guess what Huck is in our Instagram contest.

Follow the News&Guide’s Instagram account, @jhnewsandguide, and comment on the post about Huck with your guesses about what you think his two most prominent breeds are. We’ll leave the contest up for a week, and if there are multiple correct responses, we’ll choose a random winner from all of them.

The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to the local pet store of their choice.

Good luck. Or should we say, good Huck.

acteristics.

Some shelters have switched to systems that assign a dog a color, she said. For instance, green might mean energetic, and purple may indicate a couch potato.

“We’ve done such a good job as the sheltering community to get people to take into account lifestyle,” she said.

“We’re really needing to look into different solutions to give accurate representations of personality.”

That type of categorization would have been helpful when I adopted Huck. A guess at breed was about the only signifier the shelter gave me. Once I got him home I discovered he wasn’t really housebroken, was prone to running away and barked incessantly. I may not have rejected him if I had known those things — crazy dogs need love, too — but I would have made different decisions in his training.

Now, almost six years in, his breed makes no difference to me. For all the irrational reasons we love our dogs, I care more about his love for running, his personality quirks and the weird way he licks the air when he gets really excited.

However, I am excited to know if I’ve been accurately describing him all these years, and I’m sure other dog owners, even though they wouldn’t love their dogs any more or less, would like to know their weird mutts’ makeup.

“We always recommend owners do it,” Penn said. “It’s always really fun to see what they are.”

Contact Tom Hallberg at 732-5902 or thallberg@ jhnewsandguide.com.

10 - PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Health

Pet insurance: The benefit is ‘limitless’ Vet recommends that people insure their animal companions, but remember to read the fine print.

By Billy Arnold

A

nnie Riddell and her family have had a lot of dogs.

There was a Bernese mountain dog, Maddie, another Bernese, Birch, and a golden retriever, Pearl, before Maisie, a Great Pyrenees, Australian shepherd and border collie mix.

But owning and taking care of those canines hasn’t always been a breeze. There’s been heartache (and medical bills) along the way.

The first three dogs — large purebreds with a predilection for health problems like hip dysplasia and Von Willebrand’s disease, among others — were diagnosed with various forms of cancer. Maddie died at 7 years old. Pearl at 5. Birch at 4.

“I sort of expected to have an encounter with cancer or some other large dog’s health issue at some point in her life.

I didn’t expect it to be that early on.”

— Annie Riddell dog owner COURTESY PHOTO

Those deaths were all part of a series of what Riddell called “health heartbreak.” With Maddie, the family’s first dog, she didn’t have pet insurance.

“I sort of expected to have an encounter with cancer or some other large-breed dog health issue at some point in her life,” Riddell said. “I just didn’t expect it to be that early on. There were just a whole lot of expenses I couldn’t have expected, given the timing.”

Having to pay for Maddie’s treatment and then say goodbye to her was a double blow.

Annie Riddell estimated Maisie, her Great Pyrenees, Australian shepherd and border collie mix, is about a year old.

Riddell has pet insurance for Maisie because her past dogs — a purebred golden retriever and Bernese mountain dogs — had serious health complications that resulted in short lives.

“It was just an insult to injury,” Riddell said.

Since Maddie’s run-in with cancer, Riddell has purchased pet insurance for Birch, Pearl and Maisie. When Birch and Pearl came down with their own illnesses those policies were a lifesaver for the family. Even though both dogs died at a young age (even for their breeds’ relatively low life expectancies), having pet insurance meant Riddell avoided being hit

both with grief and a substantial pile of bills.

With Birch, Riddell tried Veterinary Pet Insurance, now rebranded as Nationwide Pet Insurance, whose reimbursement process she found to be “frustratingly inconsistent and painstaking.” She switched to Embrace when her family adopted Pearl. Though it came at a tough time, her expeSee Insurance on 11

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PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 11

Health

Insurance

Read the fine print

Continued from 10

rience with the company — which covered nearly 80% of over $10,000 in cost — was much better.

“The silver lining was that it wasn’t such a grievous financial loss,” Riddell said.

Veterinarian Dr. Dan Forman, hospital director at Spring Creek Animal Hospital, has treated all of Riddell’s four-legged family members. Though he recommends insurance to all pet owners — Spring Creek treats small animals and exotics (and the occasional injured wildlife) — he said dog owners are the most likely to pick up a policy.

But there are caveats.

Old dogs, higher premiums

Forman said pet owners should be aware that premiums rise as animals age.

Older pets are more likely to have health problems, meaning insurance companies are more likely to have to make a payout for them. To offset that risk the companies charge more for aging dogs.

Buying health insurance early, Forman said, keeps premiums manageable. He illustrated that point with the example of an 8-year-old Australian shepherd.

“We don’t know whether that dog will live to be 10 or 16,” he said. “Say the owner pays six months of premiums and their dog has a $3,000 medical problem. We don’t have to be in the insurance industry to realize that wouldn’t be sustainable over a large sample size.”

For a puppy, though, insurance companies can expect 10 or so years of payments, whether policyholders pick up wellness or catastrophic coverage. Forman recommended the latter for patients with active dogs. A CCL tear — the canine equivalent of an ACL tear — and other sports-related injuries are common in the valley.

If done right, Forman said, purchasing pet insurance is “quite affordable.”

COURTESY PHOTO

Riddell and her purebred golden retriever, Pearl, who died from cancer when she was 7 years old. Riddell said having pet insurance was the “silver lining.”

“I think the premiums are appropriate based on the coverage and, as our parents

taught us, you really do get what you pay for in life,” he said.

A few years ago one of Forman’s clients bought a gold-level policy — the “highestquality package” — from a pet insurance company associated with a national human health insurance company (many pet insurance companies are affiliated that way to spread liability). It wasn’t until she submitted her bills for reimbursement that she realized a problem.

“It had a maximum payout of $600,” Forman said.

There was also a long list of exclusions, which Forman called “astounding.”

“Buyer beware,” he said. “If you do your homework, you’re more likely to end up with an insurance company and coverage that you’ll be happy with.”

But even though “no policy is perfect,” Forman said, some are better than others.

Forman recommends Trupanion, Nationwide Pet Insurance and Embrace, the company Riddell and her family use, to most of his clients. (He has no ties, financial or otherwise, to any of the three firms.)

While all three companies provide catastrophe-oriented policies, Forman said they tend both to be amenable when covering expensive surgeries and to provide excellent financial coverage.

Forman said potential pet owners should do their research before buying a pet, particularly by looking into breeds and their associated diseases to know what sort of liabilities to expect down the line. Adoption, he added, is also a great option.

Riddell took both of those recommendations — and the heartbreaking experience she had with her past purebreds — into consideration when her family adopted Maisie. She said the benefit of pet insurance compared with its cost is “limitless.”

“Having had so many losses, I know what the financial repercussions of an ill dog can be,” Riddell said. “You really don’t know how vet bills accumulate. … I don’t think I could go without it.”

Contact Billy Arnold at 732-7062 or entertainment@jhnewsandguide.com.

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12 - PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019

FEATURE

Training is what it takes to make a ‘service dog’ Service or emotional support dog?

It can be hard to tell the difference.

By Julie Kukral

W

e all love our pets, and many of us could say that our pets support us — happy wags when we come home from work, evening cuddles on the couch, morning kisses in bed.

Pets make life better. But there are some animals that are trained to do a lot more than be the sunshine in your day.

From leading the blind to assisting someone having a seizure, animals, particularly dogs, can be trained to perform day-to-day and life-saving tasks for those with disabilities. These animals are defined as “service animals” under the Americans with Disabilities Act and are allowed in public areas, including restaurants and groceries.

You may have noticed an increase in the number of animals in public places, perhaps at airports or on trails in national parks. Or there’s chance you’ve heard about emotional support animals in the news, everything from cats and dogs to exotics like pigs and peacocks. Regardless, there is a lot of interest and confusion about what constitutes a service animal and what, exactly, the rules are for these and other support animals.

Defining a ‘service animal’

There are three main federal laws that define service animals and their place in various situations: the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA; the Air Carrier Access Act, or ACAA; and the Fair Housing Act, the FHA. The ADA has the strictest definition of a service animal, and for the sake of this article “service animal” will be the ADA definition.

According to the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog (or miniature horse) that is “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.” These tasks include, but are not limited to: guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure.

Animals who remind a person to take medication or calm a person during an anxiety attack also qualify as service animals. However dogs “whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.” Service dogs do not require any official training, certification or registration and can be trained by their handlers, according to the ADA. They also don’t need to be clearly marked (meaning, they don’t need to wear a vest, though many do).

The ACAA has a broader definition that includes any animal “shown by documentation to be necessary for the emotional wellbeing of a passenger.” Both ADAapproved service animals and documented emotional support animals are allowed to fly in the cabin with their owners for free.

The FHA uses a definition of service animal that’s as broad as the ACAA’s, requiring landlords to make “reasonable accommodation” for service and emotional support animals regardless of size, weight or “no pet” policies, also without additional fees. Like the ACAA the FHA does not require documentation for ADA-approved service animals, but does for emotional support animals.

Emotional support animals on the rise

There is no official national registry for service or

emotional support animals, though there seems to be an uptick of them around the nation, or at least in the news. Local veterinarians have noted an increase, too.

In recent years Dr. Joe Wienman, a veterinarian at Jackson Animal Hospital, said the clinic is “actively filling out forms for a lot of travel emotional support animals.”

“Maybe there’s a lot more mental illness and people need them,” he said, “or it’s just a lot more popular” to have an emotional support animal, particularly for travel.

An owner without an ADA-approved service animal must get a letter of recommendation from a health care provider stating the person would benefit from an emotional support travel companion. That letter then travels to a vet, who fills out airline-specific forms needed to get the animal onto the plane and into the cabin.

“We just sign a paper that says the dog is medically OK — has all its shots — and that it doesn’t show any aggression,” Wienman said.

Pet owners must also go through health care providers if they’re trying to meet housing requirements for an emotional support pet. Deidre Ashley, executive director and licensed clinical social worker at Jackson Hole Community Counseling Center, said the center has been experiencing a “high demand” from renters looking for emotional support animal letters to resolve housing.

“We do have some individuals looking for a letter for an emotional support animal,” she said, and “in some cases — for people that we know — we will work with them on this.

“We do not write letters for people not engaged in our services due to the high demand for letters for housing issues,” she said.

Stacy Stoker, housing manager for the Jackson/Teton County Affordable Housing Department, confirmed the high demand on her end. About one 1 of every 10 applicants for housing units, she estimated, claimed an emotional support animal. She has yet to see a request for a service animal.

Tightening the leash

An increase in the number of emotional support animal requests may be driven by how easy it is obtain “certifications” online.

A quick Google search for “online emotional support animal certificate” leads to dozens of websites where owners can answer a few vague questions about mental health for an online therapist, like, “During the past six months have [you] frequently felt worried about big or small events in your life?”

For around $100 you can get an emotional support animal letter in as little as 24 hours.

According to the ADA, public entities can ask only if someone’s animal is required because of a disability and what the animal has been trained to do. The way the FHA is written, Stoker said, housing providers can’t ask many questions about emotional support animals, which are not trained to perform any tasks.

However, they can take steps to make sure applicants’ housing forms are filled out by a legitimate health care provider who is or has been treating the applicant as a patient.

“It has to be someone who’s treating them,” Stoker said. “They can’t just call some online service and get something.”

After a slew of national (and some international) headline-making controversies — like the Los Angelesbound peacock named Dexter who was banned from a

United Airlines flight in 2018 or the emotional support dog that mauled a 5-year-old girl this spring — airlines are also starting to impose stricter rules on travel companions, such as age restrictions on pets, reducing the length of flights animals are allowed on and requiring advanced notice and more documentation.

Many states, including Wyoming, have tried to tighten the leash on the rules for service and emotional support animals as well.

In Wyoming, as of 2017, if an owner intentionally misrepresents an animal as a service or “assistance” animal (Wyoming’s term that includes emotional support duties), the owner is subject to a misdemeanor and may be fined up to $750. Misrepresentation could be in the form of phony emotional support animal letters as well as misleading “outfits.”

Many websites, including Amazon, sell service animal vests, capes and tags that give the impression that an animal is working. However, the ADA does not require that service animals have any type of wearable identification.

Bad support dog

While it’s becoming more common to see animals in places not set up for four-legged friends, bringing animals into environments they are not trained to handle isn’t just bad behavior — it can pose risks to the owner, pet and the public.

But, Wienman noted, “the vast majority of the time, there are no consequences” for those duping the system.

“The danger is that it devalues what a legitimate emotional support dog or service dog actually does for people, and it devalues the emotionally strained person who needs an animal companion,” he said.

Sherry Woodard works as an animal behavior consultant at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, the largest animal sanctuary in the country. She also helps select and train service dogs. With more dogs appearing in public as service animals, she thinks that more people are questioning if the canines are really serving that purpose.

“I see people who have legitimate disabilities who are being asked, ‘Where’s your plastic tag? Where’s your paperwork? That should be in a pocket on your vest,’” she said, “and I’m sorry, but that isn’t how the law reads.

They don’t have to have that plastic tag. That is a scam online.”

She worries that if more people abuse the system, more laws will result, which could create barriers for those who need the animals and draw more attention to service animals when the animal should be focused on working.

But just because there are a lot of vest-wearing dogs out there, don’t think that every suited-up Fido is a fake.

“If you’re not obviously disabled, people may think that your dog is not legitimate,” Woodard said. “And a lot of people who do have PTSD are out there already having a really hard time just getting out of the house every day.

Please don’t make it any harder for them.”

Contact Julie Kukral at 732-7076 or valley@jhnewsandguide.com.​

PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 13

FEATURE

SERVICE, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, THERAPY: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? Service Animal

Emotional Support Animal

Therapy Animal

Legally allowed in public places, like restaurants, according to the ADA.

Yes. Public spaces are only allowed to ask handlers two questions: 1. If the animal is required because of a disabilities, and 2. What work the animal is trained to do.

No.

No.

Trained to perform various day-to-day as well as life-saving tasks specifically for one person.

Yes.

No.

No.

Must be able to live with owners even if a “no pets” policy is in place, according the FHA.

Yes. No documentation is required.

Yes. Proper documentation is required.

No. When therapy animals are not working, they are simply pets.

Primary function is to provide emotional support to one person, its owner.

No.

Yes. Emotional support animals are not trained to perform any specific task.

No.

Trained to provide emotional support to many people.

No. Service animals should not be approached in public, as they are working.

No. Emotional support animals, theoretically, should not be approached in public if they are working.

Yes. The organization coordinating the therapy will likely mandate training.

Must be trained to tolerate a variety of environments and people.

Yes. There is no “official” training or certification required.

Yes. If you’re planning on taking an emotional support animal on an airplane, it must be comfortable and controllable in public.

Yes. Therapy animals work in public spaces like schools, hospitals and libraries.

Is permitted to fly with its owner — at no extra cost — on airplanes, according to the ACAA.

Yes.

Yes. Proper documentation from healthcare professionals, veterinarians and airlines is required.

No.

Must be registered or certified.

No.

No.

Yes.

Legally required to wear a vest, cape or other type of identification.

No.

No.

No. Many therapy organizations, including Teton County Pet Partners, have their animals wear capes.

Sources: AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, FAIR HOUSING ACT, AIR CARRIER ACCESS ACT

Another working dog: therapy dogs While service animals and emotional support animals are responsible for the care of just one person, a third category of working animal is trained to provide emotional support for lots of people. These are therapy animals.

You may have seen therapy dogs around town wearing Teton County Pet Partners bandanas or vests. They wear these only while they’re working, sometimes as reading buddies at Teton Literacy Center or the library, other times as furry nurses at St. John’s Medical Center.

Teton County Pet Partners is a local chapter of a national organization that provides guidelines and training for owners and their pets to become certified therapy dogs, which starts with an online course and ends with an in-person assessment that has to be renewed every two years.

“You’re not just a therapy animal once and forever. It’s very strict. There’s lots of rules,” said Kelly Chadwick, the nonprofit’s administrative coordinator.

Not every dog is a good fit for becoming a therapy dog. Working in hospitals and with elderly people and young kids, therapy dogs have to be calm, well-trained and comfortable in a variety of settings. So while your 1-year-old German short-

haired pointer may not be the best candidate, an older, dopey (but oh-so loving) Lab may be ready to get to work.

Therapy dog visits can be the highlight of certain nonprofits’ weeks, and they certainly are at Teton Literacy Center, where Pet Partners dogs stop by every month to be read to.

“When you’re talking about reading and writing after a full day of school and the kids are clamoring to be the student that gets to read with a dog, it’s a very positive experience,” Teton Literacy Center Associate Director Kristin Livingston said. “Our students go home and they want to read to their own pets, so it extends beyond just our programming.”

Just as bird dogs love to hunt and retrievers love to play fetch, qualified therapy dogs love the opportunity to work.

“Not only is it rewarding for the kids, it’s rewarding for the handlers and the dogs,” Chadwick said. “You can see it in their eyes — so many of the dogs associate putting the bandana or vest on them with work and they get very excited.”

If you’d like information on if your dog is a good fit for Pet Partners, contact Chadwick at info@tcpetpartners.org.

Dogs in National Parks It’s not just landlords and Transportation Security Administration agents. National parks are also starting to see an increase in the number of service animals, or dogs purported to be service animals, on trails and outside of the park’s petfriendly zones.

Are more dogs going to work, or are online businesses making a living on selling fake service vests? It’s hard to say without an official registry, but having untrained companions in the national parks pose a risk, particularly in parks with as much wildlife as Grand Teton and Yellowstone.

As a national rule, usually leashed pets are allowed only in campgrounds and on roads in national parks. There are some exceptions, like on the Grand Canyon’s rims trail, but these rules are why you can bring your dog cross-country skiing on the unplowed roads during the winter, but can’t hike with it to Delta Lake in the summer.

Service animals, however, are allowed wherever a

person can go in a national park, in accordance with the ADA. Because the ADA does not consider emotional support animals service animals, those companions must remain at home or in the RV. Following housing and travel trends, Linzy French, public affairs specialist for Grand Teton National Park, said the park has seen a significant increase in the number of service animals in the park in the past two to three years.

“These rules are important to protect both visitors and wildlife in the park,” she said. “Wildlife may be present anywhere, at any time, even in congested areas in the park. Animals such as deer and moose can react to a service dog in the same manner as they would a wolf by charging and trying to attack. This is especially true in the backcountry of the park.”

Though it’s legal, Grand Teton still does not recommend that even service animals go into the backcountry of the park.

14 - PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Life with Pets

Older cats, people, dogs — they mix well Seniors find joy, not to mention health benefits, in their furry companions.

By Jennifer Dorsey

A

border collie/Aussie mix named Chase gives Christine Glasgow a warm and fuzzy wakeup greeting every day.

“The first thing I say is, ‘Good morning, Chase,’” said Glasgow, a widow who lives at Blair Place. “He leaps up to my shoulder and we snuggle.

“I always say, ‘This is the best part of my day right here,’ and he just rolls over on his little back. That’s our morning routine every day.”

Most pet owners will tell you they’re smitten with their animals, and Jackson Hole’s older residents are no exception.

Seniors find great joy in pampering their cats and dogs, many of which, like Chase, are rescues. But seniors also find that their four-footed family members enhance their health and well-being.

“They say it’s good for your blood pressure to have somebody sitting in your lap so you can pet them,” cat owner Karen Swaim said.

A growing body of research backs her up on that point and more. Studies show that having a pet eases stress, reduces heart rate, encourages exercise, promotes social interaction and makes older folks feel less isolated.

“I really encourage pets,” said Dr. Martha Stearn, an internist and cognitive health specialist with St. John’s Medical Center’s Physician Practices.

One of the main reasons, she said, is they get people moving.

“There’s nothing like a dog looking at you with doleful eyes waiting for his walk,” Stearn said.

The doctor knows from experience: She has a golden retriever named Apollo. And it’s the same for Glasgow and her buddy Chase.

“He gets me out walking 45 minutes to an hour every day,” Glasgow said. “He gets me out every single day, rain, shine or snow.”

As for mental and emotional well-being, Stearn sees “huge, huge” benefits for her patients. Being with an animal stimulates the brain, a big help for people with dementia or other cognitive impairments, she said. And it’s good to feel needed and loved.

“Their small dogs are keeping them happy, giving them a desire to live,” Stearn said of some patients. “It’s very helpful for depression.”

Amusing companionship

At a lunch table at the Senior Center of Jackson Hole this past spring, several seniors talked about their affection for the fur faces in their lives.

T.R. Shelby loves driving around with Rusty, his Australian sheepdog.

“He’s just a real friendly dog,” Shelby said. “He’s a very good companion.”

Rusty’s antics amuse him. One time the dog slipped out of the vehicle while his owner was talking to a friend. When Shelby finally found him he had made friends with a garbage collector.

“There’s Rusty sitting up in the truck,” Shelby said.

Another time Rusty discovered a pair of abandoned boots near a dumpster and chewed on them — boots that turned out to have belonged to Dick Cheney.

“That’s the only bad thing he’s done,” Shelby said.

Swaim, who lives with a 20-pound male cat named Rocky and an 8-pound female cat named Sissy, said they spur her to get a move on.

“They make you get out of bed even on those days when you don’t give a [darn],” she said. “You have to get up to take care

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE

T.R. Shelby and his dog, Rusty, take a ride together in Shelby’s golf cart at their home near Moose.

of them.”

Sissy, she said, “is my comfort.” Rocky is more of a rascal, always getting underfoot to “guide” her, she said.

In the home Cindy Knight shares with her sister the animals outnumber the humans. There’s a border collie named Bennie and a trio of cats: Annie, Sasha and Sylvie. The sisters love their pets so much they took them along on an RV vacation down South.

“They’re cuddly,” Knight said.

In addition to cuddles the dog guarantees the women get some exercise.

“Bennie loves hikes, so he encourages us to get out,” Knight said. She finds that being in nature is enhanced by the presence of a dog. “You appreciate it though their eyes,” she said.

Cheryl Schaffer, who lives with her rescue Chihuahua, Tikibell, joked that she’s glad no one has put a tape recorder in her home.

“She’s good company,” Schaffer said. “I talk to her all the time.”

Many people of all ages sense an unconditional acceptance from their animals, and Schaffer alluded to that feeling.

“Unlike a child or husband or friend they love you just because they want to,” See Seniors on 15

Making contingency plans No matter what your age it’s possible your cat or dog will outlive you. It’s especially possible if you have an exotic pet, like a parrot that can live up to 60 years, or a horse, whose lifespan is 25 to 30 years.

Animal advocacy groups recommend preparing for the worst now by finding someone to designate as your pet’s caregiver if you become incapacitated or die.

You can even set up a pet trust to make sure your pal is well taken care of.

“A pet trust is a legally sanctioned arrangement providing for the care and maintenance of one or more companion animals in the event of a grantor’s disability or death,” the American Society for the Prevention and Cruelty of Animals says. Typically “a trustee will hold property (cash, for example) ‘in trust’ for the benefit of the grantor’s pet. Payments to a designated caregiver(s) will be made on a regular basis.”

Each state has its own law. Wyoming’s reads, “A trust may be created to provide for the care of an animal alive during the settlor’s lifetime. The trust terminates upon the death of the animal or, if the trust was created to provide for the care of more than one animal alive during the settlor’s lifetime, upon the death of the last surviving animal.”

Trusts can go beyond a bare-bones caregiver designation to provide specific instructions on how the pet will be cared for.

“Because most trusts are legally enforceable arrangements, pet owners can be assured that their directions regarding their companion animal(s) will be carried out,” it says. “A trust can be very specific. For example, if your cat only likes a particular brand of food or your dog looks forward to daily romps in the park, this can be specified in a trust agreement. If you want your pet to visit the veterinarian four times a year, this can also be included.”

Seniors Continued from 14

she said.

Senior considerations

PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 15 with some age on them find families.

They are often overlooked.

Older cats, in particular, “tend to sit around for a long time,” Penn said.

On a case-by-case basis, when an elderly person wants to adopt a pet the Adoption Center will want to find out if he or she has a family member or someone else to check on the animal and take it on if the adopter can no longer care of it.

“We look for solid support systems,” Penn said.

There’s a point at which owning a pet might not be the best option for a senior citizen who enjoys canine or feline companionship.

“It’s hard to come up with an age cutoff,” Stearn said. “Some people are a very young 86, and some people are a very old Future planning 72.”

Discussing contingency plans is awkMore pertinent, she said, is the state of an individual’s health. Balance, for exam- ward but necessary, and senior adopters seem to understand why. ple, can be a problem.

“Most of the time they kind of realize “Some of the bigger dogs jump on people and knock them over,” she said. “Older too that that’s the situation,” Penn said.

“It’s realizing this animal could live for 15 people are more susceptible to falls.”

Seniors’ thinner skin means they are years: What’s the plan in the long term?

“It’s hard to tell someone no,” she said. prone to serious skin infections, like cellulitis, from cat scratches and puppy bites. “For the most part we try to set up someIt’s best that a cat’s nails be trimmed well. thing else where they can come in and walk As for dogs, Stearn prefers to see people a dog or come in a pet a cat and still have take in a small adult who knows his man- that interaction.”

Teton County Pet Partners also offers ners and has mellowed out rather than a rambunctious 8-week-old with everything opportunities to be close to animals without living with them. Dog-and-people to learn.

“Older people should consider adopting teams regularly visit Legacy Lodge Jackson Hole, an assisted and independent livan already trained rescue dog,” she said.

Seniors who have their heart set on ing facility in Rafter J. “Part of our mission is to put smiles a purebred can take in a grown-up dog on seniors’ faces,” from a breed-spesaid Kelly Chadcific rescue organization. And, of program di“He just makes me laugh wick, course, shelters are rector for the local full of dogs needevery single day.” Pet Partners. ing homes.

In addition to Neither the Jack— Christine Glasgow dogs, Pet Partners son/Teton County owner of Chase is adding a couple Animal Shelter nor of cats named Banthe Animal Adop“He’s a very good companion.” dit and Lazarus. tion Center sets a “We’re very ex— T.R. Shelby cited,” Chadwick formal upper age limit for potential owner of Rusty said. “Cats are pet parents. great about curl“There’s a huge ing up on somebenefit to having older people have animals body’s lap. These two in particular are around them, so we love to make that hap- very chill and want to be loved.” pen,” said Amanda Penn, general manager Nikki Escalada, director of life enof the Adoption Center. richment at Legacy, said the visiting dogs are a hit with seniors living there.

The right match The Adoption Center has just Though residents are allowed to have launched Seniors for Seniors, a program their own pets, not everyone is in a pothat homes well-seasoned cats and dogs sition to take care of one or wants to.

A Pet Partners visit “is something — typically 7 years and older — with they can count on every week,” Escalada people 65 and up. The shelter’s “expert said.

“They get to know the dogs and matchmakers” will help seniors find a pet that fits their lifestyle and housing the owners. People who wouldn’t [norsituation at a reduced rate of $50 for mally] do a lot of activities will come.”

She’s looking forward to seeing how dogs and $15 for cats. residents welcome the Pet Partners cats.

“The quiet and doting home of a se“Not everybody is a dog person. ... nior citizen is the perfect match for an older animal looking for a new home,” It’s nice to have the difference.”

Whether pets are live-in companions a press release said. “Senior animals are often gentler, calmer companions, and or welcome visitors, they are important often are already trained. to seniors. Ask Glasgow about Chase.

Many times, Penn said, cats in partic“He just makes me laugh every single ular are a great option for older adopters. day,” Glasgow said.

“You don’t have to walk them every “I thank Jesus every single night for day,” she said. “They’re a great compan- him when I go to bed,” she said. “He ion, and you don’t have to put quite as knew exactly what I needed.” much effort into them.”

The Seniors for Seniors program is Contact Jennifer Dorsey at jennifer@ largely intended to ensure that animals jhnewsandguide.com or 732-5908.

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16 - PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Life with Pets

REBECCA NOBLE / NEWS&GUIDE PHOTOS

Jackson police Cpl. Phil Smith said his K-9 partner, Cigy, sometimes intimidates people because of the way he looks. But the German shepherd is “a big baby” who is super friendly and sees everything as a toy, Smith said. Cigy is one of four dogs working with the Jackson Police Department and Teton County Sheriff’s Office to keep drugs out of Jackson Hole.

Drug-sniffing dogs are also loyal family pets They are all business at work but playful and loving in their off hours.

By Emily Mieure

K-9 Cigy, a German shepherd, looks and acts like your typical police dog.

“People are intimidated by him because of the way he looks,” said his handler, Jackson police Cpl. Phil Smith.

“And he’s got poor eyesight, so he tends to bark when there are a lot of people around.”

But when Cigy is off the clock he’s a regular playful pup.

“He’s really just a big baby,” Smith said. “He’s super friendly, and everything is a toy. We don’t really go anywhere without each other.”

Between the Jackson Police Department and the Teton County Sheriff ’s Office there are four canine units working to keep drugs out of Jackson Hole.

The K-9s all have the same responsibilities at work, but off-duty the dogs all have their own personalities.

Take Sully, a 2-year-old chocolate Lab. “He’s playful and likes everybody,” said his handler, Jackson police Officer Christian Smith. “He has no protection drive. We will be riding around town, and people will walk up to the car and he tries to lick them through the window.”

Randy, another Lab, loves to be called a good boy.

“He’s a total ham,” Teton County Sheriff ’s Master Deputy Jess Stone said.

“He’s motivated by affection. Even when we’re working he will go after a Kong with a rope, but then he’ll come up and want attention.”

And then there’s Stitch, a brown and white springer spaniel with curls on his ears.

Cigy enjoys playtime when he’s not on the job.

He looks more like a family pet than a narcotics dog.

“At home he is always super hyper,” Teton County sheriff ’s Master Deputy Jesse Willcox said. “Our nickname for him is ‘Wreck it Ralph.’”

All four K-9 handlers say the most common question they hear from the public is whether the dogs get to go home with them.

“People always ask if he lives with me,” Christian Smith said of Sully.

Smith lives on 17 acres in Sublette County and has three other dogs — Shaq, Jasper and Cash — so Sully is just another part of the gang when they’re at home.

“They all have a lot of fun chasing each other around,” he said. “Because we got Sully at about a year old, being a puppy, it wasn’t an adjustment at all. They just sniffed each other and it was game on.”

At Phil Smith’s house Cigy and Smith’s other dog, Moose, are best buds.

Moose becomes a little jealous that Cigy gets to go to work with Smith, so when it comes to sleeping arrangements Moose rules the roost.

“Cigy will snuggle sometimes, but a lot of times it’s Moose hogging the bed and Cigy goes to the foot of the bed,” Smith said.

Stitch is the only house pet for Willcox and his family. But because Willcox and his wife have four children, Stitch gets plenty of attention.

“The kids love him,” Willcox said.

“Every once in a while my son will sneak out of his bed with a pillow and sleep next to him in his kennel.”

Randy also has dog friends at home, KD and Lucy.

“We have a big field out behind our house that they’re always running around in,” Stone said. “And, if we’re inside, Randy will hoard toys in his crate. He’ll end up with four toys in there at once.”

The dogs have a way of knowing when it’s time to work and when it’s OK to play.

“On a normal day off he knows when I wake up and I’m in normal clothes he gets to goof off for the day,” Willcox said about Stitch. “When he sees me getting ready for work and putting the uniform on, I have to pick him up and put him in my car. He doesn’t always want to go to work.”

Working dogs often remain the handler’s pets even after they retire.

“People usually don’t understand that, after I accepted taking on a canine, he is my responsibly from when I get him to the day he dies,” Christian Smith said.

The dogs come with a lot of responsibility, both time and financial.

In fall 2017, Dr. Dan Forman created a nonprofit to help alleviate some of the financial burdens put on the officers.

The Jackson Hole Police K-9 Auxiliary has helped fund dog kennels, vet bills, training expenses, food and patrol cars that are K-9 friendly.

“We wouldn’t have a K-9 unit without his nonprofit,” Phil Smith said. “We have a limited budget and dogs are expensive.”

The dogs go through mandatory weekly trainings and must be recertified every year.

All four K-9s are single-purpose narcotics dogs, meaning they aren’t attack patrol dogs.

“If Sully was let loose on someone he would lick them to death,” Christian Smith said.

If you see a K-9 and his handler out in public it’s OK to say hello, but ask permission first.

If you’d like to donate to the auxiliary it has an account at Bank of Jackson Hole.

You can also donate or inquire about volunteering by emailing jhpolicek9@ gmail.com.

Contact Emily Mieure at 732-7066 or courts@jhnewsandguide.com.

PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 17

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Local News Pet-friendly housing NOW BRADLY J. BONER / NEWS&GUIDE

Jules Bell with her dog, Gus, and cats Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar, in their Gregory Lane apartment. As a multiple-pet owner Bell said her options are even more limited in Jackson Hole’s already tight housing market.

is scarce in Jackson Facing restrictions, animal owners struggle, scrimp and sacrifice to keep their critters.

been on the books for years or decades, she said, and no one has thought to change them or gone to the trouble to do so. But her neighborhood seemed to mostly welcome the change.

“It boils down to time and effort,” she said, “and it’s easier just to keep the status quo.”

By Cody Cottier Though Moore’s HOA will likely expand its pet horizons, “it’s a very small dent efore she came to the valley to work at in the larger picture here,” she said. For the Jackson Animal Hospital, Jules Bell many others the barriers to animal ownernever had trouble finding a place to live ship remain, and in some cases they prove with her 13-year-old black Lab, Gus, and insurmountable. her two cats, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist.

“It’s devastating,” Moore said. “People That held true for her first accommo- don’t want to give up their pets.” dation in town. But when she learned her Faced with the choice between that and rent would be increasing come the next stretching her finances thinner, Bell had no lease, she knew she and her trio of furry trouble deciding. Though she doesn’t judge friends would need to look elsewhere. This people who choose otherwise, especially time around, they weren’t so lucky. those with families, she said she wouldn’t “I called around a lot of places, and most turn over her animals for anything. of the regulations were one animal per per“I’d live in a tent before I’d surrender son, or no animals at all,” Bell said. “So I them,” she said. “My dog’s my best friend.” kind of realized I was stuck.”

Adam Galadima understands the strugNow, she said, “I’m just biting the bul- gle as well as anyone. But before he came let.” She renewed her lease and will try to Jackson, he said, “I didn’t even know that to afford the rent was an issue.” In hike on a veterinary Oklahoma he usutechnician’s wages. ally just had to pay a It’s a familiar fee for his animals. plight for many pet “It’s devastating.

After his second owners. For a locale move in Jackson, People don’t want that so dearly loves however, the best its animals, Jackson housing option for to give up their pets.”

Hole doesn’t alhim and his young ways make it easy didn’t al— Amy Moore family to keep them. The low pets. He redirector of paws rules often seem at luctantly took his odds with the fact short-haired cat, that there are an Boots, to the Jackestimated 20,000 son/Teton County dogs and cats in Teton County, according Animal Shelter. to PAWS of Jackson Hole — roughly one To this day, he said, “if my family memper person. bers remember that cat, some of them “There’s lots of pets,” said Amy Moore, spend days crying.” executive director of PAWS, “and very few Now he’s the community service officer places you can take them.” at the shelter, where he takes in the aniHousing is the foremost hurdle for mals that others surrender when they find would-be pet owners. Though the town themselves in the same situation. In 2018 of Jackson allows up to two dogs per resi- the shelter accepted eight dogs and 13 cats dence, many landlords and homeowners’ whose owners could no longer house them, associations drop that number to one or and Galadima noted that many more peoprohibit them altogether, typically to keep ple likely find homes for their pets without damage and noise to a minimum. help from the shelter.

With other HOAs only owners can keep “These,” he said, “are the animals we pets, and renters have to make do with hu- get in because people don’t have any other man companions. Ironically, Moore, an choice.” owner, has an HOA that enforces that rule; she has pushed to OK renters with pets.

Contact Cody Cottier at 732-5911 or Many of those regulations have simply town@jhnewsandguide.com.

B

Get Notifications of Jackson Hole’s latest news, as it happens.

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Portraits in Motion of Pets and their Humans

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18 - PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Exotics

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE PHOTOS

Tugi swims around his tank in the front office at Munger Mountain Elementary School. The red-eared slider is eager to greet visitors, swimming side to side and following those who give him attention. On the sides of his head are the quintessential markings of his species.

Tugi the adventure turtle is school’s tiniest student Shell-ebrity lives at Munger Mountain Elementary School.

By Kylie Mohr

M

ake sure not to sit on the reading pillows in Kelly Keefe’s first grade classroom. Visitors might be shellshocked to learn there could be a turtle under there.

Tugi, short for Tortuga — Spanish for turtle — is often found nestled in the pillows, napping away.

“That’s his spot, and that’s where he goes,” Keefe said. “He’s here all the time.”

The turtle is integral to the Munger Mountain Elementary School community and even has a picture in the yearbook.

“Tugi was a gift from a Munger Mountain family,” Principal Scott Eastman said.

“They asked us if we’d like a turtle, and we said yes. He has become a part of our school.”

A couple dozen students come into the front office and say hi to him every morning. In May they were still doing it, even though the newness had worn off.

No one knows Tugi’s gender, but everyone seems to refer to the turtle as a male. No one quite knows his age either, but he is believed to be at least 10 years old. Life expectancy for the most popular pet turtle in the United States is between 20 and 40 years.

In his tank at the front of the school Tugi is curious when visitors come up close. He swims and zooms side to side.

“He’s very active,” Eastman said.

The turtle is about 10 inches long, head to tail, and has beautiful, detailed black markings on his shell. As a red-eared slider Tugi also exhibits quintessential scarlet markings on the sides of his head.

Teacher Kelly Keefe’s students play with Tugi during a break in class.

Tugi’s home away from home is Keefe’s classroom. You’ll know he’s present by the “Tugi in the room” Post-it note on the door.

Students take ownership of their classroom pet and are responsible for making sure he doesn’t make a break for it when they’re coming and going from the room.

Because Tugi is a semiaquatic turtle he

can’t stay in his tank all day and actually prefers to be out of the water.

The school didn’t know that at first. Tugi began the year lethargic. A school nurse, counselor and custodian teamed up to try to determine what was wrong with him.

Lamps, lights and a veterinarian visit later, they figured it out.

“It was touch and go for a little bit,” Eastman said. “It’s been a really cool community effort to support this turtle. He’s a celebrity.”

Tugi’s shell-ebrity status is cemented in the classroom, where kids clamor to have him sit in their lap like a puppy or crawl across their legs on his way around the room.

See TURTLE on 19

PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 19

Pets for kids at every age

Continued from 18

“He got on me five times,” 7-year-old Gael Corona Vazquez said.

His classmate described a time when Tugi climbed into a bookshelf.

“He got on the shelf and the papers went flying,” 7-year-old Henry Allen said.

Teachers normally don’t fall for the cliched “My dog ate my homework” line. But what about destruction caused by a turtle?

“Sometimes he pees on the paper,” 6-year-old Edwin Aguilar reported.

Students will occasionally feed Tugi a cherry tomato, his favorite, or little bits of lettuce.

“When the kids sit on the carpet he crawls over them instead of walking around,” Keefe said. “He’s not afraid.

I guess he’s comfortable with them. He knows the kids aren’t going to hurt him.”

Her class was ecstatic to learn Tugi would make it into the News&Guide.

“He’s going to be in the paper?” several children excitedly asked.

Historically, school pet publicity hasn’t always been of the positive variety. In 1995 the Jackson Hole News reported that a 15foot, 90-pound python owned by the school district bit custodian and animal science program teacher Howard Schwartzman in a “freak accident.” The snake, named Sly, also made it into a school yearbook.

Although Tugi doesn’t wander the halls during school hours, Keefe lets him out to visit neighboring teachers with her supervision once students are gone for the day. During the day he paws at the door not unlike a dog.

Trying to find the inquisitive little critter in the roughly 77,000-square-foot Munger Mountain Elementary School would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

“We’ve seen him run in here,” Keefe said. “He can run.”

She takes Tugi home on the weekends and over school breaks.That’s where he’s learned “there are treasures on the other side of the door.” Over spring break he snoozed for 63 hours in a pillow fort Keefe brought back with her.

She’s never had a turtle before but said

e om

H

Bringing a pet into your home is a major decision.

According to website PetMD (like WebMD but for animals, not humans), these are the best choices for children at every age. Factors to take into consideration include the lifespan of the pet, space needs, if the critter is nocturnal or diurnal, care requirements and needs and health care costs, as well as what your child wants when it comes to interactions with the pet, your child’s personality and what you’re going to do if your child loses interest in the pet.

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she “just loves animals in general.” Tugi watches TV with her and will fall asleep on her shoulder sometimes.

“This might sound a little weird, but he sleeps in the bed,” Keefe said.

There are almost 600 videos and pictures of the turtle — playing with the principal, speeding around the classroom — on her cellphone.

“I love him,” Keefe said. “I can’t help it.”

Contact Kylie Mohr at 732-7079 or schools@jhnewsandguide.com.

He

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High School • Jackson Hole Distributing • Gateway Church & Pastor Jim Hall • University of Wyoming & 4H Extension Office • Teton Youth & Family Services & Jeremy Silcox • Virginian Motel • Peak Baptist Church

• START Bus

• Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

• Copy Works & Theresa Burnside

• Sidewinders & Joe Rice

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20 - PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Exotics

Parrot parenting is a love-hate endeavor Loudmouth sees you when you’re sleeping and knows when you’re awake.

By Chance Q. Cook

H

ead out to Kelly and you might come across a bright colored bird wildly out of place in northwest Wyoming.

It belongs to 18-year-old Callum Mackay, a high school senior who, since birth, has known only the life of a bird parent.

The 45-year-old double yellow-headed Amazon parrot was rescued by Mackay’s mother before her son was born, and as the boy grew older the parrot took to him for reasons he’s still not quite sure of.

“Widely loved for their very intelligent and inquisitive personality,” at least, according to PetGuide.com, the double yellow-headed Amazon is lauded for its “incredible ability to speak and mimic.

“Although they can sometimes be feisty, spoiled or hardheaded, with a little patience, you will get to know and love the true nature of your pet Amazon.”

Mackay confirms the latter half of that description.

“People come over and they’re like, ‘How are you guys not insane?’” Mackay said. “It’s

like having a perpetually annoying brother all the time.”

It’s something of a love-hate relationship in which Rudy — the double yellow-headed Amazon — hates everyone except Mackay and Mackay loves to hate the bird’s attachment.

The best part? Mackay is never really alone.

“It’s cool because I’ll be in my room doing homework and I won’t really be alone,” the teen said. “I’ll come into my house every day and he’ll be like, ‘Hello?’ and then I’ll go pick him up.”

The worst part? Rudy is a brute when Mackay has guests.

“He’ll go attack them,” he said. “If he’s on a chair and they walk through by my clothes, he’s latched on to them. I went to the vet, and they said he might be one of the strongest parrots they’ve ever seen.”

Mackay said Rudy can say only a handful of words, one of them being “mom,” which the bird shrieks over and over ever since picking up the tactic from Mackay when he was a toddler.

“I would yell ‘Mom!’ and he’d yell ‘Mom!’” Mackay said.

“We would just be bombarding my mom, and then he figured out that by yelling ‘Mom!’ you could get basically anything you wanted.

“We’d be eating dinner and he’s just screaming. He knows we’re going to have to give him food. You can’t escape it.”

RYAN DORGAN / NEWS&GUIDE FILE

Callum Mackay and his parrot, Rudy, take full advantage of a rare sunny February afternoon out at Mackay’s loft in Kelly. Rudy, a 45-year-old double yellow-headed Amazon, will likely see many more sunny days, given his life expectancy of up to 80 years.

Also startling to veterinaries is Rudy’s acclimation to the Wyoming climate. Though birds like Rudy thrive in warm, tropical climates, the parrot doesn’t show much aversion to

winter weather.

“I don’t know what this bird’s deal is,” Mackay said, “but he’s been fine in the cold.”

That includes walks and bike rides, during which Mackay

tosses Rudy from the handlebars and the parrot gets his exercise flying around.

The toss is off limits in the snow, one of the many hang-ups Rudy has.

Another of the bird’s hangups is never wanting to be alone.

Mackay said mornings getting ready for school require tiptoeing, because if Rudy knows he is up the bird will capitalize on his vocal abilities.

“It’s hard in the morning,” Mackay said. “If I’m up in my room he’s got really good ears, so if I make too much noise he just starts screaming and I have to go get him. And I’m not trying to wake up to that.”

Rudy could live up to 80 years, so even with hopes of traveling one day, Mackay knows he’s on the hook for the parrot’s well-being well into the future.

But Mackay is planning to attend Montana State University in Bozeman, where he will get a reprieve from Rudy’s shrieking.

Before Mackay can buy his books though, he must find an interim owner for his pet, a task perhaps much taller than getting accepted into college.

“It’s hard to find a caretaker for this bird,” Mackay said. “Because, you know, the bird will hurt them.”

Contact Chance Q. Cook at 732-7065, sports@ jhnewsandguide.com.

Love is now bigger than ever.

Presenting the all-new 3-row Subaru Ascent.

More room for your special cargo

405 Powder hor n L a n e Jac k s on WY 307-733- 6600 www.tetonmotor ss uba r u .co m 347439

PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 21

Teton Tails 2019

#jhpeakpets

Thank you to our readers who submitted photos to this yearbook. A portion of net proceeds from Jackson’s

photo contest finalists

Tails will go to PAWS programming.

runner up

runner up

winner Gus

Dottie

@meme_cakes1

@dellpickles

runner up

Summit

Hudson Heath

@summitadventurepup

Puddles

Abby

Adak

J

H N

& G

P et

Maurice

Mollee

@hudsoninthehole

Belle

Rascally Rex

P G & N H J

J

H

N

&

G

P

et

Lulu

et

Aggy

James Bond

Dancer & Star

R.I.P. Mokie

Alice

J H N

&

G

P

et

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DaVinci

Gus

Bullet

J

J

H

H

N &

N &

G

G

P

P

et

et

Will

Zeus

River Sage

Solo & Wuxian

Baylain

Cody

Bentley

Ghost JHN&G PetS

Sam

Luckenbach Luc

Dash &Gus

Eddie

Hachi

Rocket Man

Ray

Camper

Joey

Kiala & Paris

Fisher

J

H N

& G

P et

Bexar

PEAK PETS • JACKSON HOLE NEWS&GUIDE, Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 23

SUMMER 2019

Living with Grizzlies

The recovery of the grizzly bear population is a conservation success story. The next step is to figure out how we coexist.

in this issue...

OU TD OO RS

Paragliding

TARY COPY] [COMPLIMEN Biking has become

BIG

CU LTU RE

Public Art

DI NI NG

Farmers Markets

GE TT IN G OU T

Scenic River Floats

in the Tetons

PEDAL ON

BY MOLLY ABSOLON

THE FIRST PAVED PATHWAY

in Jackson Hole was built in 1996. That 4-mile section of asphalt connected neighborhoods in West Jackson with High School Road and gave kids a safe way to ride their bikes to school. The only mountain bike trails you could find in those days were converted hiking routes that tended to head straight up and straight down, meaning that only a mighty few could actually ride their bikes over many sections.

But those days are long gone. Today you can ride from downtown Jackson to Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) along what is arguably the most scenic bike path in the country. On the Idaho side of the Tetons, an 8-mile paved bike path connects the towns of Victor and Driggs, while further north, the old railroad grade for the Teton Valley Branch of the Union Pacific Railroad has been converted into a 30-mile gravel path that connects Tetonia and Ashton. It passes over three historic trestle bridges while winding through fields of barley rimmed by the western foothills of the Teton Range.

And then there are mountain bike trails. In Jackson Hole there are trail networks in East Jackson, on Teton Pass, and south of Wilson. In Teton Valley, Idaho, there are trails east of Victor, in the Big Hole Mountains, and in Horseshoe Canyon. Both Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Grand Targhee Resort have miles of cross-country and downhill trails accessed via lifts.

All these options can be overwhelming, and visitors to the area may want to consider taking a guided bike tour, something else you couldn’t find around here 20 years ago. Now several companies lead rides, from leisurely tours on the bike paths in GTNP to rugged mountain bike rides in the Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF).

It used to be said that Jackson was a skier’s town with biking, but that’s changing quickly as more and more people take up cycling. Read on to discover how it’s changed and how to enjoy the changes.

BRADLY J. BONER

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SUMMER 2019 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE

JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019

// PHOTOGALLERY Rocky Mountain lodgepole pines are adapted to fire with both ordinary cones that open seasonally and serotinous cones, which need heat, often from fires but sometimes strong, direct sunlight works, to open. Individual pine trees will have predominantly one type of cone or the other, and such variation will exist in a single stand of trees. Once a fire or harsh sunlight has melted a serotinous cone’s waxy exterior, seeds disperse to germinate.

Other trees with these heat-loving cones include the Jack and Table Mountain pine trees.

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Available now, valleywide.

Visit jacksonholemagazine.com or call (307) 732-5900 to subscribe

Thirty-one years after wildfires burned about one-third of Yellowstone National Park, the recovering landscape is a classroom for scientists, and for park visitors who know what to look for.

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y B R A D LY J . B O N E R

LESSONS IN THE WILD

BY KYLIE MOHR

THE SUMMER OF 1988 in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem was very dry. By September of that year, forty-two lightning-caused fires had burned approximately 1.2 million acres of lodgepole pine forest—a swath the size of Rhode Island—impacting roughly 36 percent of Yellowstone National Park.

But fire is a paradox—destructive and regenerative at the same time. Today, the scars on the landscape from the 1988 Yellowstone fires are still visible, but also visible is the fact that the landscape (and the wildlife that lives in it) is recovering. A team of scientists, including University of Wyoming zoology professor Scott Seville, University of Oklahoma biology professor Hayley Lanier, and Laramie County Community College biology professor Zac Roehrs, has been researching how plants, small mammals and insects recover. “We’ve got data from the same sites back to 1989,” Lanier says.

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SUMMER 2019 JACKSON HOLE MAGAZINE

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