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Lending a Helping Paw

Service Dogs Offer More Than You Might Think by MATT NORMAN When you think service dogs, what comes to mind? You probably think of a beautiful lab in a vest and helping the visually impaired. While many service dogs are used for guiding those who are blind, there are a lot more ways service…
Caring Canine

Meet Victory Ridge Academy’s Superstar, Dub the Service Dog by TERESA SCHIFFER If there’s one face familiar to all at Victory Ridge Academy, it’s Dub, the dog. Dub, short for Dublin, has been working at the school for children with special needs for the last 10 years. Dub is a Labrador retriever who has been…
Riding for Therapy

Equine-Assisted Activities Offer Heartfelt Help for Vets, Children with Special Needs by Mary Toothman At TiAnViCa Riding Academy, more than a dozen horses are on hand to allow people to ride — and heal. Sara Meadows, executive director and co-founder of TiAnViCa Riding Academy, says horseback riding for people with special needs has been offered…

Holiday tips to help keep the whole family healthy

AS WE ENTER THE HOLIDAY SEASON, the excitement of fall festivals, family gatherings, and holiday parties are worth celebrating. For many, this means gathering to-do lists, party planning, and shopping for family and loved ones. One thing to remember in the holiday preparations is to remain healthy this holiday season! In all of the excitement,…
Health Facts: The ABCs of bone health

For better bones, activity, bone density, and calcium intake are key BONES … The framework of your body is a living tissue that is constantly broken down, replaced, and needs daily nourishment. While it’s important to build strong and healthy bones during your youth, you should protect your bone in adulthood, too.
Q&A on the continued care needed to combat childhood obesity

Jessica Maxwell, ARNP, offers insight from the front lines of the weight-loss battle LESS THAN FIVE years ago, childhood obesity was recognized as a significant public health threat in Polk County. According to the most recent data offered by Florida Charts (2013), childhood obesity among WIC children ages two years and younger was at 31…