City

Peanut-sniffing dog welcomed to Turner

By Mary Standard, Special to the Sun Journal

Oct 30, 2009 12:00 am

Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Ethan Rines, 5, gives his new dog, Nicco, a Portuguese water dog, a big hug after the dog sniffed around Antigoni's Pizza in Turner for peanuts. Ethan is severely allergic to peanut products.

- Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
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TURNER — Five-year-old Ethan Rines introduced his new peanut-sniffing dog, Nicco, at his favorite pizza shop Thursday, thanking the owner and others who supported him in getting the specially trained Portuguese water dog.

Nicco walked around the tables at Antigoni's Pizza on Route 4 and checked out anything near where the boy and his family were to sit, making sure there were no peanuts that would trigger the boy's severe allergy.

Ethan introduced him to shop owner Antigoni Papagjika, who donated pizza to some of the fundraisers held to pay for Nicco. The boy and his parents traveled to Angel Dogs in Colorado in mid-October to train with the dog, and the newest member of the Rines family arrived here Saturday.

It was the latest step in their effort to prevent allergic reactions like those that forced Ethan to leave Turner Primary School this year. Ethan plans to return next month with Nicco at his side, but first school personnel will have to be taught how to work with Nicco.

The dog, when working, wears a harness that contains Ethan's emergency medicines, the dog's cleanup bags, wipes and a collapsible water dish. When entering a new place, the dog must be told, "seek," to sniff out any peanuts or peanut products, said Jessie Rines, Ethan's mother. And when working, he cannot be petted, the family advised.

She said the dog-training continues three or four times a week. She takes peanuts in special packets from a closed container and plants them over their 25-acre home site, she said. Each time Nicco finds a peanut, he gets a reward and a pat.

The reward is what keeps the dog working, Jessie said. "Nicco needs to love searching for peanuts more than petting. If he gets petted too much, he will just be a pet. We can't put all our trust in the dog, either, but he is there for assurance."

The dog will require special food and regular medical exams. To help with those expenses, there will be a benefit spaghetti supper and silent auction at 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2,1 at the Boofy Quimby Memorial Hall in Turner. Those attending will be able to meet Nicco and Ethan. For more information, call Jessie Rines at 740-0515.

Comments

I think that the public

Submitted by amosnme on Fri, 10/30/2009 - 13:05.

I think that the public needs to be educated about service dogs and the correct way to approach or not approach, ask questions, etc. I have found that the people who own the dogs are the experts and the teachers. However, I take offense to the accusations that there are so many idiots in Maine that someone is looking to move. I say,"By all means, go, and make sure that you keep a count of how many people bother you in any other state". That generalization is as ignorant as people who let their kids fall all over a support animal. If your dog poops and it never even hits the ground, which I find questionable unless you tie a bag under her tail, then you obviously are a trainer and a teacher. Teach. Teach. Teach. Don't call people in Maine idiots and want to move to where there are no idiots....with that attitude, you may be the local idiot in your new state. I am extremely understanding about support animals and how important they are to saving lives....I have one. I hear your anger and frustration, but name-calling isn't going to solve your problems. Use your voice, speak your rights, teach the "idiots" not to be idiots, call for help in stores if you need to, call 911 if you need to...those are all options. Or leave the idiots in Maine and go find some more somewhere else. That's not helping you or anyone else in your position. I really do wish you luck, but I do hope that you will let some common sense and intelligence over-ride your anger and frustration wherever you live.

First I have spent the past

Submitted by candiceanne on Fri, 10/30/2009 - 16:03.

First I have spent the past 7 years educating. Just try calling the plice when you and your service animal are being chased down the street in Rumford, they tell you to call animal control, give the number and hang up. Animal control tells you to call the police in an emergency when you reach them. Next I am looking to move from where I am to another place in the area where there are fewer problem dogs/dog owners. One day last week I was chase six blocks dispite repeatedly askinng the other person to stay back with their dog and making several turns to try to accomodate them. When I got home and got my dog in, I went back out to speak with this person to try to educate and couldn't get a word in pst their screaming how they had every right to walk their dog anywhere they wanter any time they wanted, anyway they wanted. A couple in a truck in the parking lot where laughing and after the dog owners stormed off told me I was wasting my time trying to talk sense to idiots. Later that night, we waited till we thought everyone would be in for the night and it would be safe, was when we were attacked by the other dog requiring veterinary care. There is a third dog in the neighborhood that I also Lready no to be extremely carerul to avoidm None of these dogs is licensed and it is safe to assume none are vaccinated.

As for my dog's poop never hitting the ground, it is an easy trick though I am told by non-dog owners who are sick of cleaning up after dogs it is impressive. All you have to do is have a plastic bag in hand. When the dog assumes the position, you position the bag to catch the poop. Works great every time and you never leave anything behind. Tie off the bag and drop it in the trach. We buy our bags by the case from Kingwholesale.com which is a grat reasource for dog supplies.

Thank you for this comment!

Submitted by jayla on Fri, 10/30/2009 - 13:16.

Thank you for this comment! I had to keep my mouth shut because it wouldn't have come out this nicely. LOL.

Believe it! Sometimes it

Submitted by DR on Fri, 10/30/2009 - 12:11.

Believe it! Sometimes it seems that modern day parents grew up in an intellectual vacuum -- dumber than dirt, no control over their kids, no respect for anyone else. I'm guessing that their parents raised them to think they're "special" and they just keep passing this ignorance along.

I wish these people all the

Submitted by candiceanne on Fri, 10/30/2009 - 05:52.

I wish these people all the luck in the world. I suffer from epilepsy and use a seizure alert dog. My german Shepherd knows befor I am going to have seizure and guides me to a safe place , our of the bath room, out of traffic, away from the stove to a chair, to sit on the floor a couch or bed. Buttons is very good at her job. Buttons wears a harness with a leather covered steel crossover handle and also a softgrip that runs between her collar and harness for rough terain and a leash as well for pottying. It is very evident that she is a service animal. Because ahe is a seizure alert dog she id on duty 24 hours a day pretty much if you see her, she is working. The problem is people will not leave us alone. In is normal for people to send/allow their small children/grandchildren to throw themselves on my 100 lb german shepherd and they are all smiles, "_h isn't that ao cute." ON IT IS NOT CUTE, GET YOUR KID AWAY FROM MY SERVICE ANIMAL, SHE IS NOT A PET, A TOY OR THERE FOR YOUR PHOTO OP. LEAVE US ALLONE. DO NOT LOOK AT HERE. DO NOT TALK TO HERE. DO NOT PET HERE. DO NOT GIVE HER CANDY, COOKIES, THE DOG BONE YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE IN YOUR POCKET. PLEASE CONTROL YOUR DOG AND DO NOT CHASE US DOWN THE STREET.

It has gotten to the point I risk my life and go most of the time without her when I am living in Maine because it is just too strssful dealing with all the idiots. We have reached the point we are looking to move because there are so many idiots with problem dogs in our neighborhood (iif you have a place availanle let me know) in one day we were chased six blocks by a dog dragging a woman who could not restrain her dog later that night another man completely lost contro _f his dog releasing the leash to his dog. He were attacked by this dog who was not vaccinated or licensed had bitten someone else earlier in the day and whose owner/handler was drunk and disorderly. It took 5 grwon men to get that white germanshepherd off my dog and Iand the owner was arrested for drunk and disorderly. My dog went to the vet and who is now a nerves wreck again every time she sees another dog, heck this is only the 4th time we have had actual injuries from one of these encounters, will need retraining agaim to recover from yet another attack.

My dog poops in a bag. Her waste never even hits the ground. These animals provide a valuable service giving your friends, nighbors and family their independence and are life saving. They sayve millions since as in my case with dog I do not need the round the clock care that would otherwise be required. There are so many people whose lives would be transformed by having one of these wonderful professional servixe animals in their lives, but I don't even suggest them any more.

Will you help the disabled in your community and respect our space and our canine and other animal helperd PLEASE. Teach your children that these are not pets, or toys and to not pet or distract them. Please if you are out with your dog, keep your dog far from us and be a good neighbor to eveyone and pooper scoop.

I reLly wish this young man the best os luck. Like me, his life depends on that dog. I am just very afraid it wont take very long for the very large number of idiots to prevail and he will have a very expensive. very well trained service animal waining at home for him.

You need to get tough with

Submitted by DR on Fri, 10/30/2009 - 12:21.

You need to get tough with the idiots and carry protection against the loose dogs. Have a serious talk with your local law enforcement to explore options. Even normal dog owners have problems with all the morons who think their dog or kid needs to get close to your dog. I once got to the point where I warned everyone that my dog was a nasty biter, totally untrue as the animal never bit anything but a Milkbone; but it kept most of the idiots at a bigger distance. People who won't hesitate one second to harass you or your dog will usually freak out and back off if they believe their mangy pooch or mannerless spawn might get nipped.