Go Lew Olson!

And her brand-new book (long awaited!) is indeed available!! WAHOO!

http://leerburg.com/9000.htm

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Lew Olson. I am reading her new book right now. It is a great read.

She always has something great to read!

First, I'm suspicious about their motives. And, yes, I do realize they have the right to set any rules they choose. I also realize that the patients' safety must come first. But I have a friend with a severely compromised immune system who safely feeds her dogs a raw diet just by using sensible meat handling (i.e washing her hands, and cleaning up)techniques.

Second, how would they know what an individual feeds? Are they going to go and inspect every household, each day to check up on what someone's feeding?

Sensible, enforceable rules such as the dog being clean and free of parasites (have someone there that checks this)make more sense than rules that are pretty much unenforceable and not based on good scientific evidence.

Edited by Elaine Haynes (06/30/2010 06:22 AM)
Edit reason: typo

 Quote: elaine haynes

Sensible, enforceable rules such as the dog being clean and free of parasites (have someone there that checks this)make more sense than rules that are pretty much unenforceable and not based on good scientific evidence.

I understand why there is a bit of controversy ovet this. People want to take care of their dogs and help people. But I was wondering how they plan on enforcing a "ban" on something when they will have absolutely no way of knowing whether or not people are complying.

Are they going to be doing random poop inspections?

I think that it is a bad idea to have any animals visiting patients with severely compromised immune systems if pathogens are this much of a concern. Just think of the things they happily eat when we aren't looking!

Plus as it has been noted kibble may not be any better in regards to this issue.

When it comes down to it, I wonder how many people will just ignore the new rule and continue to feed raw. If I had a TD thats probably what I would do.

I just can't be trusted, I guess.

 Quote: Tammy Moore

Great letter sent to Delta!

http://www.truthaboutpetfood.com/articles/did-purina-executive-influence-delta-society%E2%80%99s-ban-of-raw-feeding.html

Very good letter with excellent information.

I absolutely agree that there should be regulations on a dog's health, cleanliness, temperment, etc... to be in a TD program, and that Delta has every right to set any paramaters they so choose. It sure would be refreshing however, if they set those paramaters based on facts, wouldn't it?

Simple, common sense precautions such as those outlined in the above letter should apply to all the dogs and would virtually guarantee no risk of infection.

I wager far more infections are transferred from hospital staff to patient in just one hospital than from all therapy dogs to patients combined... Not based on any scientific fact except for my knowledge that hospitals are the most dangerous place to be when you are sick, or healthy for that matter.

My dogs aren't therapy dogs, and I have no interest in doing it; just not my thing. So the rule change doesn't directly affect me. What I find troubling about this has nothing to do with dogs participating in therapy programs.

What I take issue with is a purportedly respectable dog organization perpetuating misinformation, offering nothing to support their claim that a raw canine diet is somehow a risky choice--for the dog, the owner, or those that come into contact with a raw-fed dog. There simply is no evidence to suggest that the idea has any foundation in truth. Everyone'e entitled to their own opionion--but not their own facts.

The Delta Society is a private organization. It's thier sandbox, they can set any rules they want, and if one doesn't want to play by them, then get out. Everybody understands that. I have no desire to force dogs into hospitals and nurshing homes where they are a health risk. I simply object to unchallenged lies--especially when they come from organizations that have enough legitimacy to make lies believable.

All of us hold other purportedly reputable animal organizations to some kind of standards of ethics and truth--because these organizations have influence. Pick your favorite--AKC? Iams? PETA? All of those organizations have the smell of respectability, at least in the popular media, but not many here let them get by with much. I don't agree with the opinions of the HSUS either. So clearly I don't give them any money. But I also make sure to call them out on their lies whenever I can. There's no way I'm going to take a "live and let live" stance about misinformation that I think hurts dogs.

Delta is a large and influential organization. And they do lots of great work. For the record, I do not put them in the same category as PETA, HSUS, or Iams. Which perhaps makes it even more unsettling that a "good" dog organization takes a stance with questionable motives.

It's hard enough for people to understand the truth about feeding their dogs with the billions of dollars spent on marketing really awful foods, the stunning lack of education that most vets have about nutrition, and the mountain of myths that exist in the popular culture. The fact that the Delta Society now piles on simply gives the misinformed one more reason to discredit a choice that for most dogs would benefit their health. A raw diet isn't the only healthy way to feed a dog. But it is one very good way. And too many people (and dogs) unfortunatley never get that information. I do what I can.

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What I take issue with is a purportedly respectable dog organization perpetuating misinformation, offering nothing to support their claim that a raw canine diet is somehow a risky choice--for the dog, the owner, or those that come into contact with a raw-fed dog. There simply is no evidence to suggest that the idea has any foundation in truth. Everyone'e entitled to their own opionion--but not their own facts.

Wow, well said!

 Quote: kristel smart

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What I take issue with is a purportedly respectable dog organization perpetuating misinformation, offering nothing to support their claim that a raw canine diet is somehow a risky choice--for the dog, the owner, or those that come into contact with a raw-fed dog. There simply is no evidence to suggest that the idea has any foundation in truth. Everyone'e entitled to their own opionion--but not their own facts.

Wow, well said!

Agree well said.

They did point to "evidence" but their "research" was not controlled, experimental research, it was "incident report" data. Not altogether invalid, but doesn't begin to tell the whole story, and IMO is insufficient data upon which to base such a weighty decision.

What it does is provide evidence that conveniently jives with the *cough, cough* 'sales agenda' of the father company.

There is an organization here called Love on 4 Paws. The woman who runs this therapy dog org. is also a Delta evaluator, but she started her own group and it is not affiliated with Delta. Love on 4 Paws has contracts with many different hospitals, rehab centers, reading to kids centers, and many more different kinds of care facilities. They are strict on their rules about dog/handler behavior, cleanliness of the dogs, and they take a lot of time to train their teams before they go out on their own visits. They even have rules in the facilities that the patients must disinfect THEIR hands before touching our dogs. She said the nurses are just as concerned about transmitting bacteria or something from the patient to the dog, as the other way around! So everyone takes precautions. And one of them is, that the hospital decides which patients can have a therapy dog in their room and which should not - for the sake of the patient and the dog/handlers. I think this is the way to do it! Let each patient be evaluated separately and the nurses and doctors decide which patients health issues should exclude the possibility of germ exchanges.

I wrote her an email yesterday and asked if Love on 4 Paws was considering the same ban as Delta and she said no.

Thank you for that info Lori