Be prepared to be totally dismissed by the parents. This kid didn't get that way because his parents are such strict disciplinarians. We had a kid in our subdivision that was a living nightmare. His parents were professional people that both worked while he ran amok. He blew up mailboxes...did wheelies in the street on their riding lawn mower, broke into homes, cars, stole children's bikes just for the sake of being mean. All his father would say is that "Boys will be boys". Whoever complained against his evil spawn was the villain in his eyes - not his precious fledgling Satan. You can't imagine our joy when the father's job required that they transfer out of state. You never saw a subdivision band together so tightly to help these people move. Our problem was lack of proof. Just because we saw it ...was not enough to get him to face legal consequances. They wanted solid proof. To many of these cops - this may have seemed like petty complaints - but it surely made our lives miserable while it was happening.

Since 3/4 of the nation is obese or overweight, I guess I'm flattered to be called underweight. I have never weighed more than 112 in my life(except for 2 pregnancies) and that number was when I was a teenager eating meat. I am small boned and both parents,four grandparents,two kids, all aunts and uncles and cousins are thin to skinny. Not an over weight one in the whole group. GS is 10 and weighs 62..Meat has nothing to do with being healthy. It is unhealthy for you causing many cancers, esp. colon cancer. Why are doctors recommending not eating red meat or very little?.For a few decades I weighed between 99 and 105 and never saw a doctor in all that time. ..MAMA..what does taking my animal to the vet means an animal was killed for me? I had some put to sleep from sickness there. And littlebit..If I was given the choice of slaughtering animals all day or scrubbing city sidewalks with a tooth brush, I'd do the latter and have a clean conscience. Cows are warm blooded, sentient mammals with the same emotions..fear, terror, sadness and pain that the dogs and cats have at the animal shelter where your husband helps. I love animals..all of them, not just cute puppies and kittens. Animals feel!

I don't think that's abuse or cruelty unless the cat is somehow being restrained against it's will and/or is obviously distressed. I have 2 cats and an 18 m.o., it is very interesting to witness what the cats withstand from her and what they will not tolerate. Nobody has put a claw into her as of yet- we are waiting for that eventuality. The other day she was poking the boy cat with a pencil and he had every opportunity to leave but chose not to, he just sat there patiently seemingly uninterested in leaving her- he isn't that tolerant with me most days. I did take the pencil away to prevent him from losing an eye. They do tolerate a lot from her, but when enough is enough, you can't make them stay.

Hello, it is me again. I started the thread. I'm sorry to have posted and then gone incommunicado, but I had a nasty motherboard problem. Eeeek! But I am now back online. I am very, very grateful to those who stepped in to answer questions. I hope you all don't mind if I do some quick clarifications under headings to save time, rather than respond to each individual. Therapy Dogs (TDs): Delta, TDI and Therapy Dogs Inc. are all great. The 14 point test on Delta's site is a very good example of what a TD must be able to do. If you want to volunteer as a TD team, you might want to get a CGC first. It is a good basis. If chapters of the above organizations are not in your area, please do not give up hope, but do a google search for Therapy Animal Groups in your state. There are smaller organizations, and some hospitals are beginning to start their own groups. I do advise joining a TD organization that offers training, ongoing support and, most importantly, insurance in these litigious days. Please don't try it on your own. We get huge enjoyment from our TD work. We also know we do good. We do both "social visiting" and "Animal Assisted Therapy". The first is just pleasant visiting, the second is working with a medical or educational team to achieve identified goals. So, we do regular volunteer visits at: an elementary school Reading Program, an Assisted Living, an Alzheimers Unit, and a residential facility for the severely Develpomentally Delayed. We also do Hospice on request. One of my dogs is a natural TD, and does most of the harder Animal Assisted Therapy work. The other I never expected to pass the test (!) but she has a huge affinity with seniors, and is amazingly understanding of those with dementia. She has totally exceeded my expectations and is enormously loved. Mental Heath Service Dogs: Autism and severe Anxiety Disorders have been mentioned above. Yes, and yes! Northstar is an exellent example of training service dogs for autistic people. I'd also add ADHD to that list. Sometimes petting a dog helps people to focus on the task at hand. Finally, Service Dog training: I did not mean to imply that there are not many wonderful training facilities for service animals. And the larger organizations provide valuable documentation. I do think that it is important to acknowledge that not all legitimate service animals have certification from *known* organizations. To date, there is no federally recognized training or certification for service animals. Some may disagree, and as I said it leaves things open to abuse, but this is a good thing IMO, for the individual who has a well trained animal bonding to them, and for smaller groups just starting up. Most people whose service animal is self-trained, carry a prescription from an MD for a service animal. That is usually accepted as documentation. In addition, most make sure the animal in question is well trained. Finally, Quirky and plasticgarden, I am very glad that you were joking. I did not find the jokes in particularly good taste, but that is because I work with and volunteer with so many disabled people. Possibly I should lighten up. But I would prefer not to. Quirky, and others considering it, best of luck with TD training. I'm sure you will all love volunteering. All the best.