All Creatures from page 35
the University of California at
Davis and served as a large ani-
mal veterinarian in Mount Airy
N.C. Back then his wife, Sandy,
used to joke that the pigs he
treated should feel more secure
in his care, since "he was the
only veterinarian they would
see who would not eat them."
His fee, back then, was a flat
$20 per visit, no matter how
long the visit took; often the
impoverished farmers had no
cash and paid him in water-
melon. After a period in Israel,
Loeffler returned to the United
States and earned a second
doctorate in immunology at
Cornell University.
Loeffler lives in Oak Park
with his wife, one dog and two
cats. The Loefflers' two adult
children have moved out, a
move commemorated by a
humorous plaque in their living
room: "We had to give the chil-
dren away. The cat is allergic."
Loeffler, who now studies
brain proteins in his labora-
tory at Beaumont Hospital,
is a member of Congregation
Or Chadash and Young Israel
of Oak Park, and also stud-
ies at the Kollel Institute. He
says that he does not regret his
change from veterinarian to
medical researcher: Veterinary
work presents problems for an
observant Jew, he says, who
would not want to spay or cas-
trate animals, and who would
be at a disadvantage for taking
off Saturdays, the busiest days
for small animal veterinarians.
they were — threw her out, she
had been abused and was
frightened of adult men, includ-
ing Deutsch. With patience and
care, he nursed Frannie to health
and found that she had a calm
and loving personality. After she
passed the American Kennel
Club test to qualify as a Canine
Good Citizen and potential ther-
apy dog, Frannie accompanied
Deutsch to Children's Hospital
every Sunday to visit children
with serious health problems.
Once, on a weekday, Deutsch
got a call from the mother of a
young girl at the hospital. The
girl had hydrocephalus (water on
the brain) and needed emergen-
cy operations at unpredictable
intervals. This had been a hard
week, with several operations,
and the mother said that the girl
was sad and asked if he could
bring Frannie to visit her daugh-
ter. Deutsch could, and did.
"The girl was lying in her
bed when we walked in. She
screamed out, 'Frannie!' and
bolted up. She was about to
jump out of bed and her mother
had to stop her because of the
IVs," Deutsch said. "I eased Fran
into her bed and the girl was
in heaven. She petted Fran and
began talking to her. Her mother
told me that was the first time
she had smiled in a week after
undergoing six operations. Man,
I choked up."
FUTURE LEADER DOGS
Some dogs, like Frannie, just
turn out to have the skills to
help people. Other dogs start life
HOW ANIMALS HELP US
training for a vital role in helping
The story remains incomplete
humans.
if we look only at how human
Consider Tanker, probably the
beings help or protect animals.
youngest student in the labora-
tory wing of the engineering
Dogs, cats and pigs work for
humans as well. They return af-
building at Lawrence Technolog-
ical University. A 2-month-old
fection to those who take care of
them. Petting an animal lowers
yellow Labrador retriever, Tanker
a person's anxiety, blood pres-
works as hard as any other stu-
sure and heart rate. A properly
dent to learn his lessons, which
trained therapy dog can provide
include everything a puppy
support and empathy to sick
needs to know as well as how to
Top: Ray Ziegler works on the computer while Tanker waits patiently in his area of Ray's office at
behave politely in environments
and anxious people.
Lawrence Tech. Above: Evan Deutsch's therapy dog, Herschel.
Golden retriever rescuer
definitely not made for dogs.
Platt's first dog, Maxie, worked
Tanker is a future leader dog.
as a therapy dog at Fleis-
Ray Ziegler, supervisor of the
chmann Hall. Maxie took part in a program called that Lady will soon go to work soothing anxious
Fabrication Laboratory at Lawrence Tech, is rais-
ing Tanker for Leader Dogs for the Blind, provid-
Pet-a-Pet; elderly and infirm people benefited
patients, and, by doing so, will reduce some of the
from interacting with a sweet and caring dog.
ing a home for the pup until he reaches the age of
prejudice against her breed.
Aaron-Miller reports that the Sunrise Assisted
12-15 months, when he will go to Rochester Hills
Deutsch's first therapy dog, a Rottweiler named
Living facility on Telegraph Road in West Bloom-
for
higher education.
Frannie, began as a rehabilitation project. A friend
field has a resident therapy dog, a large, plump
After
an intensive 3 to 4-month course at Lead-
of his found her on a highway overpass, cower-
Labrador retriever named Baby. One of Aaron-
er
Dogs
— provided Tanker passes all his tests —
ing in fear with bite marks on her chest. She had
Miller's own dogs, a pit bull named Lady, has be-
he
can
become
the faithful companion of a blind
recently given birth, but she was separated from
gun training to serve as a therapy dog. She hopes
or
blind
and
deaf
person.
the puppies. Before her first owners — whoever
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36 March 2013
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