Therapy Dogs & Raw Diet - Page 1

i don't check in on this data base much anymore, so i'm not sure if this topic has already been talked about.
For those of us who have Therapy certified dogs, The Delta dogs can no longer be fed a raw diet. My dog is certified through TDI, and they do NOT subscribe to this. i am getting involved with a group who bring their dogs to libraries for children to read to. it's the READ program. as i am TDI, i will go in as a TDI member and not officially part of their group. but, many of their dogs are Delta certified and, while few are raw diet advocates, they no longer have the choice if they want to remain Delta. the July 2010 WHOLE DOG JOURNAL basically debunks the stand Delta has taken and also points out that at major promoter of Delta is Purina. so, it sounds a little fishy from that standpoint. anyway, if you have a Delta certified dog and make therapy visits, you can no longer feed your dog a raw diet.

They don't allow schutzhund trained dogs either.  When I did it with two of my dogs, I went through L.I.T.A. (Love Is The Answer).  They never asked me what I fed my dogs.

Michele

this is apparently a whole new thing. but the fact that Delta Society receives financial support from Purina makes this kind of crummy. i think they are the only ones who have decided not to allow raw diets, altho how they can enforce this i don't know.

Thats really sad

what was the reason (which is bs Im sure) that they gave as to how feeding Raw would negatively affect their program?

they say that the dogs pose a serious threat of infecting clients with zoonotic pathogens.
there is no way to ensure a dog doesn't pick up something from a kibble fed dog or a patient or the grass outside a facility. and, according to Ray Mundy who was president of the Hudson Valley Humane Society for 15 years and is an attorney, the likelihood of anyone suing Delta or any other similar organization for infecting someone with salmonella or e. coli or the like, is "beyond imagination". 

.... sigh such bs 

how much effort on their part would it really be conduct an study  to test the germ load  of a raw dog's mouth, face  and paws....

And then contrast it with a dog that's eats kibble? 

because we all know a kibble dog WOULD NEVER sniff , lick or eat anything like a dead rotting creature or poo of an unknown orgin...

 I'm curious to know what they do to enforce this....

i am TDI specifically because of that reason and because of the Sch reason.

I have a pitbull who eats raw, is involved in schutzhund, and is a therapy dog, who is not dog aggressive and lives with two other dogs and is very obedient.

Gosh... something must be wrong with me.


someone who takes the time to feed their dog raw is more than likely someone who has taken the time to learn more about their dogs and is looking out to give them the best.
to punish that for completely ridiculous reasons is stupid business.

Why haven't I gotten sick with my dogs that eat raw? surely by now I should have gotten ecoli or salmonella? 

we just posted at the same time - i added on to my last post, expressing just that. like i said, i think the fact that Purina gives them financial support makes the whole thing questionable. if i had a Delta certified dog, i get him re-certified with someone else pronto.

btw, for those who have any kind of good story about their therapy dog/cat/horse/etc  and/or a rescue animal, check out www.petloverspromise.com. i have been writing a bit about angus & his visits and enjoying the really positive blogs from others about how their dogs/etc have made a difference in their or others lives. it can be a refreshing break from the some of the negative stuff "out there". it is not my site, but i do know one of the owners of the site just a little. she's done some artwork for me.

Something else to be aware of with Delta Societies. Their tests are identical to Therapy Dogs Int’l but their requirements for membership are not only dictatorship but also more expensive! (Delta Society $75 registration vs Therapy Int’l $35)

Delta Society has not only banned all Pet Partners (certified volunteer teams) from feeding a raw meat diet, there is also other motives here...  I've also learned that a Purina Pet Food executive sits on the board of directors of Delta Society. This same executive is attempting to control all pet businesses involvement with pet charities. Meanwhile, the Delta Society, denies that Purina has had any input into their decision to ban Pet Partners from feeding a raw diet.

Then I find that the Delta Society Pet Partner “banner” (harness the dogs are required to wear showing they’ve been certified as a trained volunteer) now includes a Purina logo. In other words, every Pet Partner will now be a walking advertisement for Purina Pet Food.