A Dog Belonging to the Victim of a House Fire Stood Guard Over His Injured Owner: Fire Officials Say the Man is Expected to be Okay

A dog belonging to the victim of a house fire stood guard over his injured owner while firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze Wednesday morning.

Fire crews were called to the home in Landover Hill, Maryland, early Wednesday morning. Firefighters say they had trouble getting to one of the two people injured in the fire because the man's dog was standing over him.

Firefighters tried to call the dog away from the man, but the loyal pooch wouldn't budge. Firefighters eventually deployed a powder fire extinguisher in the direction of the dog, giving them time to get the man out of the house. 

The dog was never aggressive towards the firefighters, Mark Brady, a spokesman for the fire department, said.

Even after firefighters removed the man from the home, the dog could be seen sitting next to his injured owner.

The victim's son says his father is expected to be okay. The man's adult daughter also suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

A dog, two turtles and several puppies inside the home were removed safely. Animal control officers took the animals from the scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Fire officials do not believe the home had smoke detectors.

Delta Passengers Will No Longer Be Able to Transport Pets as Checked Baggage in a New Policy Effective March 1, 2016

Delta passengers will no longer be able to transport pets as checked baggage in a new policy effective March 1, 2016, the airline announced in a statement on its website. Customers may also ship pets for travel within the United States as freight through Delta Cargo.

According to a New York Post analysis of U.S. Department of Transportation data, Delta recorded the highest number of pet deaths between May 2005 and September 2015. 74 pets died on Delta flights during that period, accounting for approximately 25 percent of airline pet deaths in the U.S. Additionally, 14 pets have gone missing. In 2011, Delta banned snub-nosed dogs and cats from traveling in the cargo compartment after incidents involving breeds with respiratory problems. After March 1, American Airlines will be the only U.S.-based airline to allow pets to travel in the checked baggage compartment.

Delta's new policy will have one exception: Members of the military with active transfer orders will be allowed to transport a pet as checked baggage. 

Additionally, Delta will continue to accept service and emotional support animals that comply with federal regulations, including proper documentation.

Delta has said it will contact customers with bookings after March 1 that are known to include pets as checked bags. Delta is also advising customers that choose to ship pets via Delta Cargo that:

• A separate booking from their flight itinerary is required.  Additional fees and charges may apply.

• A pet shipped domestically via Delta Cargo cannot be booked until 14 days prior to departure.

• Pets are not guaranteed to be shipped on a customer’s same flight or flight schedule.

• Shipping a pet requires dropping it off at a Delta Cargo location at least three hours before departure time at a location separate from passenger check-in.

• Picking up a pet will also occur at a Delta Cargo location.

• Delta Cargo will only accept international pet shipments from International Pet and Animal Transportation Association members. International customers should visit ipata.org to find an approved member to assist with their transportation requirements.

Delta has said that pets transported via Delta Cargo are monitored closely by customer service teams during their travel. While at airports, pets are handled in temperature-controlled holding areas and vans. Also, Delta Cargo enlists professional kenneling services if overnight stays are required.

Members of the military with active transfer orders will still be allowed to transport a pet as checked baggage.

Unfortunately, Police Dog Work Can Sometimes Be Deadly: The Surprising Reason More Police Dogs Are Dying in the Line of Duty

By all accounts, Wednesday's encounter between French police and a group of suspected terrorists in the Paris suburbs was an incredibly violent one: 5,000 bullets fired, dozens of grenades thrown, bodies so damaged that at first authorities were unable to say how many people had been killed.

So it's somewhat remarkable that there was only one fatality on the police side of the showdown: Diesel, a 7-year-old Belgian Malinois police dog who was sent into the apartment at one point to check for survivors. The dog was killed when one of the people in the apartment detonated a suicide vest.

Diesel's death sparked a popular hashtag and an outpouring of respect and grief on social media. And it highlighted the role specially trained dogs play in often dangerous law enforcement situations in France, as well as right here in the United States.

It's unclear exactly how many police dogs are active in the United States. Jim Watson, director of the North American Police Work Dog Association, gave a "wild guess" of around 50,000 dogs in 2010. The dogs are deployed to various domestic law enforcement agencies, doing everything from bomb- and drug-sniffing to chasing down suspected criminals.

And, unfortunately, police dog work can sometimes be deadly. The Officer Down Memorial Page, which tracks police fatalities in the line of duty, includes numbers on police dog fatalities as well. Their numbers show that in 2015 so far, 26 police dogs have been killed in the line of duty — a number that's up sharply over the previous two years.

In the most recent incident they've tracked, a dog named Hyco with the Anderson County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina was shot and killed while chasing a group of suspected carjackers. In September, a police dog named Ike in Washington state was stabbed multiple times while attempting to subdue a suspect and had to be euthanized due to the extent of his injuries.

But while a number of dogs have died at the hands of a suspected criminal this year, the ODMP's numbers show that canine officers face an even bigger threat: heat exhaustion, particularly from being left in a squad car on a hot day.

This year alone at least 11 dogs died from heat exhaustion, according to the ODMP. In August, two dogs with the Baltimore City Detention Center died when the air conditioning failed in a vehicle they were in. In Florida, an officer was suspended without pay in May when he inadvertently left two police dogs in a car at his home.

The heat deaths "happen at a pretty alarming rate," said Steve Weiss, an NYPD lieutenant who serves as ODMP's Director of Research. "I was surprised by how often it happens."

Weiss says that many K9 unit vehicles are now being outfitted with electronic systems that automatically regulate heat and humidity. Some systems can alert remote officers if the AC fails or the temperature gets too high, and allow them to immediately pop the trunk or doors to allow dogs to escape. More widespread adoption of these systems would cut down on the heat exhaustion deaths, according to Weiss.

Weiss says better laws protecting police dogs would help too. "The laws in many states involving the deaths of police animals are not very strict," he said. "Every state is different."

Meet Hannah, an 8-Year-Old Collie, Who is Lowering Blood Pressure at the Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System

Danville, Illinois - She doesn't wear a white coat, offer medical advice or dispense medicine.

But each time Hannah makes her rounds at the Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System, she showers patients — and staff — with loads of affection, lowering their blood pressure and lifting their spirits in the process.

Hannah, a nearly 8-year-old Collie, is a certified pet therapy dog, and Marilyn Campbell of Georgetown is her owner and handler.

While Hannah usually draws most of the attention at the Veterans Hospital in Danville, it's Campbell who is being recognized by the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund this month for her volunteer work with her four-legged friend and other therapy dogs.

In the last 20 years, the Vermilion County Conservation District retiree has certified more than 200 dogs for therapy service. And once a week for the last 18 months or so, she and Hannah have been visiting the veteran patients.

"Ms. Campbell is a wonderful example of an IMRF retiree who, through service, is making a difference in the community," said Louis W. Kosiba, the organization's executive director. "Her story is an inspiration to others to volunteer their time to help others."

Campbell and six others from across the state were nominated for IMRF's "Year of the Volunteer" contest, spotlighting volunteerism within the organization's membership. They will be honored in December.

At that time, the organization will select one of them as its Volunteer of the Year. The recipient will receive $1,000 to donate to his or her preferred service organization.

Nine collies and counting

A Terre Haute, Ind., native, Campbell moved to Vermilion County to teach science at Danville Junior College, now Danville Area Community College. She taught there four years and chaired the science department during the last two.

Then she left to direct the conservation district's educational programming, which included its year-round outdoor school program for elementary school students, summer day camp program, teacher training sessions and adult classes in nature and ecology, among other things. She also edited the district's newsletter and wrote a column for other publications.

After 25 years with the conservation district, Campbell took over as the executive director of the Illinois Audubon Society and served for 12 years. Although she retired in 2007, she continued to edit its magazine for several years on a volunteer basis.

Campbell has had nine collies over the years. When she worked for the conservation district, she put one of them in obedience school and later got involved in a local obedience club.

After taking her dogs to visit residents in a nursing home, she learned about Therapy Dogs International, which certifies dogs for work.

"Because of my background with the obedience club, TDI allowed me to register my dog, and we began visiting nursing homes," said Campbell, who also became an evaluator and has certified more than 200 dogs primarily from central Illinois and Indiana for work.

"Basically, I conduct a test to show that the dog has the temperament and obedience to work with people and other dogs," explained Campbell, who must recertify as an evaluator and as a handler every year. "They have to be able to follow commands and show they have good behavior. There are certain parts of the test they must pass, or it's an automatic failure — if they jump up on someone or if they don't stay when they're told to stay or if they are overly nervous when their owner is out of sight. Of course, if dogs show any sign of aggression, I won't go any further with the test, but I've never had that happen."

'How does she know?'

While Campbell enjoys evaluating dogs, she especially enjoys providing pet therapy because it gives her a chance to work with her dog and other people. In addition to visiting nursing homes, she has volunteered for the Danville Public Library's Read with a Dog program, Head Start and Camp Healing Heart, which Carle puts on at the University of Illinois 4-H Camp at Allerton Park each September.

Campbell knew that Hannah, whom she adopted from the Indiana Collie Rescue, was cut out for the job when she took her to the special camp for children who have lost a loved one. They were assigned to sit in on a grief session for older boys and girls.

Campbell said one boy, who had recently lost his father, started to talk.

"He got about two sentences out, and he started crying," she said, recalling how other kids immediately gathered around to comfort him. Then she saw Hannah push her way into the huddle.

"She got to the boy and started kissing him on the cheek," Campbell said. "The counselors just looked at me like, 'How does she know?' They just know. They just have that empathy for people, and they want to make them feel better. And if they get a hug, it makes them feel better, too."

Campbell started going to the Veterans Hospital through one of her friends, Chris Lucas. Lucas and her therapy dog volunteered there, but could only go once a month because of their work with hospice patients.

"She encouraged me to go because I had more time," said Campbell, who started volunteering in the summer of 2014. "A lot of the veterans are lonely. They don't get very many visitors. I thought if we could bring them a little joy, it was a worthwhile thing to do. I enjoy it, and Hannah enjoys it."

'Be sure to come back'

Recently, Campbell and Hannah — sporting her red Therapy Dogs International bandana around her neck — made their weekly rounds in all of the hospital's in-patient wards. On other days, they also visit the two independent living centers.

"It's my favorite dog," veteran Tina Foote cried when the duo peeked into her room. She threw her arms open, which was Hannah's cue to jump up on Foote's bed and nuzzle her face. "You can come see me any time."

As Foote cuddled with the dog, Campbell complimented her on how nice her hair looks. Foote, who underwent chemotherapy, lost her hair, and Campbell is happy to see that it has grown back and that Foote is feeling better.

"It's very relaxing. She reminds me of having my dogs with me," said Marine Corps veteran Tim Trimble, who talked about his three dogs who were waiting for him at his home in Rantoul.

As Campbell and Hannah continued to make their way through the Alzheimer's and dementia, acute psychiatric and palliative care wards, patients and staff would stop what they were doing, pet the collie or scratch her ears and smile. Each time, Campbell waited patiently, not wanting to rush anyone.

"As soon as they come on the ward, they just light up — even the ones who are not very communicative," said recreation therapist Casey Haugen, who escorted them through the hospital. She said they look forward to seeing Hannah, and also Campbell. "She's so dedicated. She's been coming here so long, she knows most of them by name."

Campbell said she plans to continue visiting the veterans as long as she and Hannah can.

"Some of these people will say, 'Be sure to come back.' They appreciate us taking the time to visit with them, and I enjoy bringing others pleasure and brightening their day."