Eye On Oshkosh - Journey Together Service Dog fundraisers and Winnebago County K9s

On the most recent episode of Eye on Oshkosh, host Cheryl Hentz welcomes Robin Milner, a volunteer with Journey Together Service Dog, who shares information about some upcoming fundraisers the group is holding.

A major one is on Saturday, Aug. 17 at Barley & Hops in Oshkosh from 11 am to 3 pm. People will have a chance to meet some of the service dogs they’re training to eventually be given free of charge to Wisconsin residents diagnosed with PTSD or who are victims of crime and have anxiety issues. There will also be some items raffled off including a very special item – a Packers football, signed by the players and coaches from the past NFL season. As an added treat, WBAY Channel 2 evening news anchor, Cami Rapson, will act as a celebrity bartender from 11 am to 1 pm, serving up Bloody Marys and Mimosas to people in attendance.

Hentz spends the balance of the hour chatting with Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz and K9 handler, Deputy Devin Wilson and his K9 partner, Gracie, who is in training to be a therapy dog for the department. Only 11 months old at the time of this taping, Gracie is on schedule to finish her training and become certified by sometime this fall. Currently, she spends a lot of her time comforting employees of the sheriff’s department and inmates at the jail, helping to keep them calm and relaxed in otherwise very stressful situations. Once certified, Gracie and Deputy Wilson will go on calls in the community where citizens are having an emotional crisis of some kind or to help diffuse other tense situations in the field.

Much of this discussion’s focus was on the Sheriff department’s K9 program – how many dogs they have, the approximate cost for obtaining and training a dog, what jobs the dogs are assigned, and the STAR program. This program – the county’s 16-month-old sobriety-assisted treatment program – is offered to any inmate who is serious about becoming clean and sober. K9 Gracie is a unique part of the STAR program.

 

You can watch this fascinating and information-filled show here or by going to the following link: https://youtu.be/rPuJn6Dpvdk. 

Eye OnOshkosh - Fall prevention, pet fire safety, fire safety tips, etc ...

On the latest edition of Eye on Oshkosh, host Cheryl Hentz spends the entire hour with Oshkosh Fire Department Chief Mike Stanley, discussing a wide variety of topics. There’s truly something for everyone in this jam-packed show.

The first topic discussed was falls and fall prevention, especially as it relates to people 60 years and older. The OFD has worked closely with experts in developing an app and/or online tool that can help people reduce their risk of falls by improving their physical coordination. The app is called NYMBL and it is free to download and use from your app store. You can also use it online if you don’t have a smartphone or would prefer to use it via your computer. There’s also lots of other good information that can help preserve or improve cognitive health. It is strictly for people in the Oshkosh area.

Also discussed during the hour were pet fire safety tips, especially as National Pet Fire Safety Day is coming up on July 15th. The tips are wonderful not just on July 15th but year-round and any pet owner should pay close attention because the information is invaluable.

General fire safety tips are also discussed as is National Fire Prevention Month and Week which aren’t happening until October, but there is good information about smoke detectors because the theme for this year’s campaign is “Smoke Alarms: Make Them Work for You.”

Lastly, there was a discussion about an insert recently sent out to City of Oshkosh water utility customers in their monthly bills. The insert focused solely on preparing your pets for disasters. This information can also be found at Ready.gov/pets or at HSUS.org and doing a search there for disaster prep.

You can either watch the show here or by going to the following link: https://youtu.be/ySU4VEbXULI