Special day for special dogs
Boomer has been trained to brave the aftermath of a disaster in search of victims. But put the black Lab on a 2-foot-wide plastic table in a veterinarian’s office for an eye exam, and he’s a whole different dog.
Eyes can be as important as a nose for a service dog, so handlers with Idaho’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Force took advantage of a specialized vet’s offer for free examinations.
Cody, Pete, Bailey and Boomer had appointments Monday with Spokane veterinary ophthalmologist Bill Yakely, who rendered the service as part of the first-ever National Service Dog Eye Exam Day.
The dogs “do important things for us and the community,” Yakely said. He is among 140 board certified veterinary ophthalmologists nationwide who volunteered time to give eye wellness exams to service dogs, an exam general veterinarians aren’t licensed to do.
The American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists says such exams can improve the health of service dogs and help avert diseases.
In addition to breed-specific issues, stress – such as that experienced by working dogs – can lead to eye problems.
“When service dogs are doing their thing, they go all out,” Yakely said.
All four of the Idaho dogs got a clean bill of health Monday.
The handlers with Idaho Urban Search and Rescue Task Force learned of the eye exams through a similar task force in Illinois, said Jeff Sells, K-9 program coordinator.
“With disaster dogs, vision is also important because they have to traverse a lot of rubble piles,” Sells said.
The 2 ½-year-old Idaho team is comprised of six dogs, whose handlers are firefighters from the Northern Lakes and Coeur d’Alene fire departments plus two civilians. Four dogs are used to search for live victims, such as someone trapped in rubble, and two are trained to find bodies. The team is nonprofit and is administered through the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department.
“While dogs are an expensive resource, they are also one of the best for clearing a large area in a short time,” said handler Pat Riley.