Author: CNN Newsource

By Itay Hod

Click here for updates on this story

    LAFAYETTE, California (KPIX) — Over the years, Dr. Rachel Forer has found plenty of ways to take the sting out of going to the dentist – laughing gas, numbing agents, and other modern tools designed to manage pain. But no matter how hard she tried, fear had a way of creeping in.

“Going to the dentist can be very visceral, a real fight-or-flight reaction,” said Forer, who runs Little Cloud Pediatric Dentistry in Lafayette.

That lingering anxiety led Forer to an unexpected solution, one that’s natural, non-toxic, and comes with four legs and a tail: Pearl, a five-year-old therapy dog who climbs into patients’ laps, settles in, and takes the bite out of anxiety.

“It’s made a big difference for a lot of patients and parents,” Forer said.

Therapy dogs have long been used to comfort people in hospital wards and schools. Now, they’re becoming part of a growing trend in dental offices, particularly in the Bay Area, where providers are exploring new ways to ease patient anxiety.

Recently, Pearl was assisting 13-year-old Lucy Dennis, who needed three teeth pulled. According to her mother, Nicole, the dog’s calm presence made all the difference.

“There were no tears, no nothing, and she has a dog laying on her the whole time,” she said.

Research suggests that comfort animals can do more than soothe nerves. Danielle Ellington, an associate professor at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, co-authored a study examining the impact of therapy dogs in dental offices. She said it’s more than just fluff.

“Getting laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, we noticed that those numbers went down because really what the doctor is treating in those situations was anxiety,” Ellington said.

There are important considerations, including cleanliness, allergies, and the well-being of the animals themselves. Pearl, a Samoyed – a breed often considered hypoallergenic – receives regular grooming and formal training to prepare her for the dental environment.

For Lucy, the experience was exactly what the doctor ordered. All three teeth were pulled in a single visit.

“It feels good,” she said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Maddie Augustine

Click here for updates on this story

    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — More than 8,000 books are now ready to go home with Omaha Public Schools students. It’s thanks to Partnership 4 Kids’ day of service event.

The organization serves students in OPS from pre-k through college and their careers. Monday’s event was part of their Book Buddy literacy program.

“These books will go into at least 1,500 elementary students’ hands. they receive two books per month at a minimum,” Joanne Poppleton, senior program director at P4K, said. “Throughout the school year, they’re able to take home over 14 books for their home library. We have people from the community that bring the book into the school with them in the classroom, and they read this book with the students, and we also have a literacy activity that they do along with the students.”

All of the books prepped on Monday will be given to students at five Title 1 elementary schools in OPS.

Third grader Luke Roberts and his mom, Eva, were just two of more than 50 volunteers.

“I just want to make sure that he understands what Martin Luther King Day is about is not just a day off. It’s an honor. And we wanted to do something to contribute to our community,” Eva Roberts said. “We chose this because we love to read, and we want to make sure that kids all across Omaha have access to books.”

“Everybody can have the chance to read books, and because I think they’re helpful. They can learn a lot of things,” Luke said.

Other volunteers, like second grader Jackson Fourney and his mom, Katie, said they’re hoping to spread the love of reading to others.

“Jackson’s reading his way through the graphic novels at the library. And oftentimes when he’s supposed to be sleeping. I’ll catch them under his covers. Sleeping, reading a little bit later than he’s supposed to be. And he’ll come upstairs and just say, done and hand me a book. So, it’s exciting to be able to, spread the love of reading to other kids as well,” Katie Fourney said. “He came up to me earlier today. Say, he said, ‘I’m really glad you made me come today. I’m having fun.'”

Each month, P4K said they give students in their Book Buddy program a minimum of two brand-new books to take home.

“Throughout the school year, they’re able to take home over 14 books for their home library,” Poppleton said.

Poppleton said they’re working to achieve the district’s “Moonshot” goal of having every student in OPS reading at grade level by 2030, and for each book they choose to distribute, she said there’s a theme.

“Not only are they getting excited to take the book home and read it with their family members, they’re also learning about other areas in their life that they will use,” Poppleton said.

Volunteer and future education, Yasmin Urzua-Gutierrez, said increasing equity in education is important to her, and literacy is access to the world.

“When we talk about reading and like literacy rates often, like we get a statistic, and it’s like, oh, only 60% of kids can read, or 90% of kids can read, and like, hat 10% or that 40% is a huge difference,” Urzua-Gutierrez said. “Those are kids who are not going to be able to, you know, communicate well. And, and that potentially could lead to them not having as much job opportunities and then also access into higher education.”

The future educator said that’s why events like Monday are so vital.

“Opportunities like this are great for investing in kids’ futures, and especially here in our local Nebraska area, it’s so important to invest in our education and make sure that the kids who are growing up here are able to go out into the world and be real changemakers,” Urzua-Gutierrez said.

Partnership 4 Kids said they will have volunteer opportunities all year. If you would like to learn more about their mission or get involved, click here.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Rachel Whelan

Click here for updates on this story

    MONROE TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WLWT) — Monroe Township firefighters rescued a dog named Bullet after the dog fell through the ice on a frozen pond, reuniting the pet with its owner over the weekend.

“He jumped off the porch up here, up here at the house and been up there for the last hour and a half, two hours trying to chase him down,” said Anthony Layton, Bullet’s owner.

The chase led Bullet to a frozen pond, where he fell through the ice. Layton immediately called 911, prompting Monroe Township firefighters to rush to the scene.

“The young guy just walked out right through the lake, was busting through the ice with his elbows,” Layton said. “And he comes right out with him.”

Firefighter Austin Caldwell, who was too humble to go on camera, braved the freezing conditions to rescue Bullet, earning praise as a hero.

“He’s strong dog. He’s never done nothing like that before,” Layton said.

Layton expressed his gratitude to those who helped save Bullet’s life.

“Thank you so much, brother. I appreciate you, man so much. Thank you for everything y’all do,” he said.

Firefighters commended Layton for calling 911 instead of attempting the rescue himself, warning that ice can be deceptive and emphasizing their preference to respond to one emergency rather than two.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Giacomo Luca

Click here for updates on this story

    CINCINNATI (WLWT) — A police chase through the West Side early Tuesday morning ended with the driver abandoning the vehicle, according to Lt. Jerome Herring with the Cincinnati Police Department.

Police responded to reports of shots fired in Price Hill around midnight, before giving chase to a driver along Beekman Street who was suspected of being involved, Herring said.

No injuries were reported during the shooting incident.

The suspect drove through yards and crashed into a vehicle during the chase as police deployed stop sticks in an effort to stop the fleeing driver. Officers eventually called off the pursuit after losing sight of the vehicle, Herring said.

Hours later, around 2 a.m., officials managed to track down the vehicle, abandoned with a damaged rear end, at an apartment complex just over a mile from where the pursuit started along Westwood Northern Boulevard.

The vehicle has since been towed away from the scene. Cincinnati police are still working to identify and locate the male suspect.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By KCCI staff

Click here for updates on this story

    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — A member of the Harlem Globetrotters visited kids at Blank Children’s Hospital on Monday in Des Moines.

Forward Zeus McClurkin is a Guinness World Records record-holder for the most basketball slam dunks in one minute.

McClurkin’s visit is part of the team’s Smile Patrol Initiative, with a goal to make young patients and their families happy.

“It means a lot to me now that I have children as well,” McClurkin said. “My son spent a night in a children’s hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and everybody that comes into the room (needs) something from you or they’re delivering bad news. And I like that I get to be that person that, like, I don’t want anything from you. I just want you to be happy.”

The Harlem Globetrotters will be taking over Casey’s Center next month as part of their 100 Year Tour, with a performance scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 12.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.