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Anatomy

Anatomy of a chilling case: The methodical investigation into the death of the young Beyer children in Kaukauna – Post-Crescent

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KAUKAUNA The investigators tasked with figuring outwho killed 5-year-old William Beyer and 3-year-old Danielle Beyer took a methodical approach from the start.

The two children, who were brother and sister, were found dead by police Feb. 17in the upper level of a duplex at 1201 Crooks Ave. But for months, police released few details to the public, repeatedly asking for patience as they examined the case.

After nearly four months, their efforts culminated in the arrest of Matthew Beyer,the biological father of both children. Beyer, a 35-year-old from Manitowoc, was arrested and booked at the Outagamie County Jail on the morning of June 5.

Matthew Beyer(Photo: Outagamie County Sheriff's Office)

On Wednesday, Beyer made his first appearance in court, where he was charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide for the deaths of the two children. If convicted, Beyer could spend the rest of his life in prison. He appeared again in court onFriday, where his attorneys requested a preliminary hearing in the case. The hearing is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on July 30.

The Kaukauna Police Department, with assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, led the exhaustive, time-consuming investigation that involved:

A June 4 interview with Beyer apparently promptedhis arrest. Eventually, Beyer admitted to investigators who were armed with other details tying him to the deaths of his children that he was inside his children's home only hours before they were found dead.

While Beyer didn't directly confess to the killings, the revelations about his presence at the scene of what a prosecutor later described as "extremely brutal" homicides were apparently enough for police to take him into custody and for prosecutors to charge him.

The criminal complaint filed against Beyer lays out the specifics of the investigation:

When a police officer arrived at 1201 Crooks Ave. shortly after 7 a.m. Feb. 17, Melissa Schuth, the children'smother, met him at the top of the stairs that led to the south-side entrance of the upper level of the duplex.

The report sent to police from emergency dispatchers was of two children not breathing in the house, with additional information indicating there was a hole in the sons neck, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesdayin Outagamie County.

Schuth let the police officer inside, then led him to the childrens room on the west side of the residence. When the police officer entered the room, he saw William, often called Will, on the floor between two beds and Danielle, often called Dani, on a bed, still partially covered in blankets.

There were no signs of life.

The children had noticeable injuries to their necks, which the police officer described as almost a hole, the complaint says. The police officer didnt find any signs of a forced entry.

RELATED: Kaukauna man accused in 'extremely brutal, very awful homicide' of his two young children held on $2.5M cash bond

RELATED: Father of Kaukauna children found dead in February arrested on suspicion of homicide in their deaths

Schuth is the biological mother of both children, but her husband is not the biological father, though both lived at the residence with the children and were home at the time.

Schuth told investigators that she, her husband and her children had run a few errands late in the afternoon of Feb. 16 before they all returned home, but that they had been the only people at the residence that night.

When a detective notified Matthew Beyer, the biological father,of the deaths of his children, he noticed very little initial emotional response, the complaint says.

(The detective) has done many death notifications and found (Beyers) lack of emotion extremely unusual, especially because the death notification was about his two children, the complaint says.

Beyer and Schuth were involved in what had become a contentious family court case and did not have a good relationship with each other, the complaint says, and Beyer paid child support, but didnt have much contact with the children.

A document filed by the court in December indicates Schuth claimed Beyer would "periodically make the assertion that one or more of the children weren't his," and that the two of them argued over where to exchange the children.

Beyer claimed Schuth was "verbally abusive to him" and asked that she not be given his phone number. Beyer also claimed he was "afraid to take the children" because Schuth accused him of "harming the children or sexually assaulting them," the court document says.

"None of those accusations have ever resulted in charges," according to the court document, which was filed about two months before the children were found dead.

Schuth denied ever making such reports to Child Protective Services, the court document says.

The family court case was scheduled to have a review hearing on Feb. 17 the same day both children were found dead.

Authorities are responding to an incident in the 1200 block of Crooks Avenue at the intersection of East 12th Street on Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, in Kaukauna, Wis. Outagamie County Sheriff's Office officials said a call came in around 7:10 a.m.(Photo: Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

When Beyer spoke to investigators Feb. 17, he said he had been at home the entire night before, explaining that he couldnt sleep and stayed up all night long and he passed the time by rolling cigarettes and playing on his cell phone, the complaint says.

Beyer told investigators he stopped at a Kwik Trip in Manitowoc at 4:45 that morning, then went to work at Crescent Woolen Mills Co. in Two Rivers. He said his vehicle, which police determined was a silver 2006 Chrysler Town and Country minivan, hadnt been in Kaukauna since December.

Police used surveillance video from the Kwik Trip to confirm Beyer stopped to buy $20 worth of gas and put air in his vehicles tires. Beyer arrived at his job and clocked in about 5 that morning, the complaint says.

Investigators noticed during the interview that Beyers clothes were very dirty and there was grease all over his hands, along with a few cuts on his hands and a scratch on his forearm, the complaint says. Beyer said he got the injuries at work.

A detective took photographs of Beyers minivan and identified a few distinct features: a black piece of horizontal trim on both sides, a black luggage rack on the roof and a yellow bumper sticker on the back.

A neighbor who lived near 1201 Crooks Ave. saw a silver minivan park near the intersection of Main Avenue and 12th Street, a block away, about 3 a.m. Feb. 14. A man the witness described as about 6 feet tall and skinny, with dark clothes and a stocking cap, got out of the vehicle, walked around the block, got back in the vehicle and left.

Manitowoc police reviewed footage recorded by a traffic camera on Feb. 14 that shows a silver minivan leaving Beyers address, 411 N. 10th St., at 2:19 a.m., then returning at 4:23 a.m., the complaint says. A resident on Fieldcrest Drive in Kaukauna gave home surveillance video to investigators that showed a silver minivan driving east on Henry Street that same night.

RELATED: What happened to Will and Dani? Kaukauna police say little about children's deaths, insist it's 'not a cold case'

RELATED: Two months later, Kaukauna police work tirelessly, but release few details after children found dead

Police used footage from a home surveillance system on North10th St. in Manitowoc to determine a silver minivan left Beyers address about 1 a.m. Feb. 17 and traveled west toward Kaukauna, the complaint says.

"Officers observed the silver minivan with horizontal black trim traveling in the city of Kaukauna toward 1201 Crooks Ave.," the complaint says. "Officers then observed the silver minivan with horizontal black trim traveling away from 1201 Crooks Ave. at 3:10 a.m."

The minivan returned to Beyers address at 4 a.m. and drove up the driveway without headlights on, the complaint says.

The minivan avoided all major intersections and main roads in Kaukauna and did not take the most direct route out of Kaukauna, the complaint says.

Authorities respond to an incident in the 1200 block of Crooks Avenue at the intersection of East 12th Street on Feb. 17, 2020, in Kaukauna, Wis. Outagamie County Sheriff's Office officials said a call came in around 7:10 a.m.(Photo: Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Beyer was again interviewed by investigators June 4. He initially claimed he had only driven through Kaukauna several times in the past few years, but hasnt stopped, the complaint says. Beyer, though, eventually admitted he had been in Kaukauna multiple times in the days before and on Feb. 17.

Beyer claimed he couldnt sleep Feb. 14 because he had a bad feeling and was anxious and fearful, the complaint says.

He figured something bad was going to happen to one of his family members, the complaint says.

Beyer explained that he went to Kaukauna to check on his children, but only walked around the block and didnt go on the property. The next night, Feb. 15, Beyer claimed he went to bed about 8 p.m., but still had the bad feeling, the complaint says. He left about 1 a.m., drove to Kaukauna and parked the van across from 1201 Crooks Ave., walked around the block, but didnt go on the property.

Initially, Beyer claimed he had never been inside the duplex where the two children lived, but eventually admitted that on Feb. 17, he entered the residence.

"I was up those stairs," Beyer told an investigator, according to the complaint. "I used a card, a blue one, a library card, I think."

Beyer told investigators that he looked around and saw a light on in the kitchen, then looked in the childrens bedroom and saw both were asleep. A night light was on, and Beyer saw Danielle sleeping near the window, while William was closer to the door.

RELATED: 'Their lives mattered': Kaukauna community gathers to remember two children found dead last week

RELATED: Kaukauna 911 caller said 'their children needed help' before boy, 5, and girl, 3, found dead

He told a detective that Schuth's vehicle wasn't in the driveway and the porch light was on the first two times he drove to Kaukauna, "which told him that someone was gone and they were expecting them to come home," the complaint says.

"(Beyer) said the third time he drove to Kaukauna, the car was in the driveway and the porch light was out, which meant everyone was home," the complaint says.

A state investigator showed printed pictures of knives to Beyer, which led Beyer to admit he had a collection of decorative knives. He later admitted that a knife was missing from his collection. When an investigator showed him a photo of a knife that Beyers wife told police was missing, Beyer was able to identify it.

A memorial of stuffed animals sits outside the home where William Beyer, 5, and Danielle Beyer, 3, were found dead by police shortly after 7 a.m. Feb. 17.(Photo: Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

A friend of Beyers wife told investigators that, about a week after the children's deaths, that friend, Beyer's wife and Beyer were talking about who could have killed the children and Beyer described in graphic detail how he would have done it, the complaint says.

That same friend said Beyer was upset about paying child support because Schuth would not let him see the children and he did not even believe he was the father, the complaint says.

An autopsy conducted Feb. 18 at the Milwaukee County Medical Examiners Office found Danielle suffered five sharp force injuries to the neck, while William suffered eight sharp force injuries to the neck and head, along with two cuts, one to his left thumb and on to his right pinky finger, the complaint says.

Contact Chris Mueller at920-996-7267 or cmueller@gannett.com. Follow himon Twitter at@AtChrisMueller.

Contact Andy Thompson at 920-996-7270 or awthompson@postcrescent,com. Follow him on Twitter at @Thompson_AW.

Read or Share this story: https://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/2020/06/12/kaukauna-children-killed-murder-charges-against-father-took-months/5344017002/

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Anatomy of a chilling case: The methodical investigation into the death of the young Beyer children in Kaukauna - Post-Crescent

Anatomy

College of Nursing and Health Sciences introduces a new advancement to learning – The Lion’s Roar Newspaper

Gabrielle Wood/The Lion's Roar

Dr. Ryan Green, assistant professor of kinesiology and health sciences, demonstrates the use anatomage table. An anatomage table is an advanced virtual 3D dissection table that allows a better view of the human anatomy.

The College of Nursing and Health Sciences have made upgrades with a new anatomage table for students to learn more about the human body.

An anatomage table is an advanced 3D virtual dissection table that allows easier access to viewing the anatomy of the human body.

Dr. Ryan Green, assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies, described the anatomage tables full abilities.

An anatomage table is a virtual dissection table, almost like a big fancy iPad with the ability to look at different areas of the body, said Green. Students will be able to have an in-depth look at different layers and organs almost as if it were in person. There are four different bodies to study, being both male and female genders.

Nursing and health studies students will have the opportunity to learn from real human anatomy.

The body that you see on the anatomage table came from an actual person and real body parts, shared Green. The body was frozen for images that you can see of a subject who had volunteered, all deceased and tweaked so that their faces arent easily recognized.

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Green explained where students and faculty members will have access to the table.

The anatomage table will be in the athletic training lab and can be useful for both lectures and lab courses, said Green. I can show pictures, but the real way to learn is to be able to experience it and see what is being demonstrated. The level of understanding will be that much greater.

With a new perspective to learning, Green feels the anatomage table can expand beyond nursing and health studies.

The anatomage table will not only be beneficial to students but to faculty members as well, shared Green. I believe this will be a great experience to be able to collaborate not only within our department, but with others as well, such as engineering.

Green shared how the anatomage table will be beneficial to the university as a whole.

We are very fortunate to have this great tool now, and this can also be seen as a great recruiting tool for the university, mentioned Green.

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College of Nursing and Health Sciences introduces a new advancement to learning - The Lion's Roar Newspaper

Human Behavior

King Philip High School’s val and sal want to study humans and the universe – The Sun Chronicle

WRENTHAM King Philip Regional High Schools valedictorian wants to study human behavior, its salutatorian the universe.

Ainsley Bonin, 17, of Plainville, takes top honors as the valedictorian.

Bonin was a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Math and Science National Honor societies. She was awarded Excellence in English and French, as well as distinction in mathematics for statistics. Last year, Bonin was awarded the Wellesley College Book Award and Excellence in Pre-calculus.

One of my proudest moments was receiving the Henry Carr Scholarship, Bonin said. Although I personally did not know Henry, I witnessed the extraordinary impact he has had on our school and have heard about what an incredible person he was; I am extremely honored and humbled to have received his memorial scholarship, for he truly means so much to the King Philip community.

Bonin also took part in the peer mentoring program and was a peer mentor to a special needs student.

Outside of school, she performs in the fall and summer shows at Triboro Youth Theatre in Attleboro. Bonin dances at Edge Dance Academy on their competition team and is a receptionist there, and teaches dance at the Franklin and Foxboro YMCAs where she says her students give her a lot of pride. She has been dancing for 15 years.

I attribute my success to time management and a really great group of teachers, Bonin said. I am also interested in a lot of different things and didnt come upon many classes or subjects I didnt enjoy, which helped to motivate me to do well.

She says her favorite subject is math, but she also loves to write and draw.

KP truly has so many teachers who care so much about their students and aspire to build meaningful relationships with them, Bonin said. I am really going to miss all of them, and I truly appreciate how much they have inspired me and molded me into the person I am today.

She is the daughter of Elizabeth Bonin, the district data analyst for North Attleboro schools, and Jeffrey Bonin, a software engineer.

Bonin will attend Colby College, with a double major in economics and either math or psychology, and is interested in a career in the field of behavioral economics.

Whether that means research, consulting, or academia, I feel like behavioral economists and understanding human behavior can have an enormous impact on peoples lives, and I hope to use these studies to help others make better decisions and lead fuller lives, Bonin said.

Thomas Ciavattone, 18, also of Plainville, is the class salutatorian.

His awards were Excellence in Mathematics, Excellence in Physics, Letter of Commendation from National Merit Scholarship Program, Top School Scorer in American Mathematics Competition 10, Bausch + Lomb Honorary Science Award, Presidents Education Awards Program Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence, and Honorable Mention at UMass Model UN.

Scholarships Ciavattone was awarded included the Dorothy & Kenneth G. Goodman Memorial Science Scholarship and Northeastern University Honors Scholarship.

Activities he participated in at KP High included Model UN, Honors Societies, and Debate, Chess and Eco-Warriors clubs he says among his most meaningful and proudest accomplishments was being elected to run some of the clubs.

Ciavattone attended Plainville schools before KP Middle, as Bonin did.

Many really kind teachers that I will never forget, Ciavattone said of KP.

He is the son of Daniel and Jennifer Ciavattone.

Ciavattone will go to Northeastern University to study physics his favorite subject.

I hope to either become a professor or researcher in the field of physics in order to discover more about the universe we live in, Ciavattone said.

Stephen Peterson can be reached at 508-236-0377.

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King Philip High School's val and sal want to study humans and the universe - The Sun Chronicle

Human Behavior

Stephen Lewis: A meditation on what spring portends – Traverse City Record Eagle

On the north side of my house, so close I can almost open the window and reach their branches, are ancient lilacs trees.

As I sit here looking at them this last week of May, they have started to show off their fragrant purple blossoms. Each spring as those blossoms emerge, I am first reminded how spring comes here later than it does in my native New York, and then the opening line of Walt Whitmans lament about the assassination of Lincoln, unbidden, pops into my mind:

When lilacs last in the dooryard bloomd.

That would be on April 14, 1865, when lilacs on the east coast were in bloom,and John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln. Reacting to that event and the emerging season, Whitman, consciously or not, yoked together the unchanging regularity of natures cycle, and in contrast the unpredictable and disruptive vagaries of human behavior.

Other poets have observed the same contrast. The opening lines of Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales, salute the arrival of spring, again specifically in April, with that months warming breezes and showers waking up nature, and in sync with this regular occurrence, longen folk to goon on pilgrimages. Chaucer sees how the natural movement from the end of winter to the revival of spring leads to a religious impulse to celebrate the souls victory over death in its hoped-for resurrection. How genuine and heartfelt that feeling is among those joining the imagined pilgrimage to Canterbury is revealed in the wide variety of tales, from bawdy to pious in the tales the pilgrims tell, all set against the steady backdrop of the natural world in springtime.

Fast forward from Chaucers 14th century to the early 20th for another poets view of the winter to spring transition. In his The Wasteland, T. S. Eliot begins by stating, April is the cruellest month. The poem goes on to explain the cruelty of the springs return to life promising an accompanying spiritual rebirth that is not realized, in depressing contrast to natures annual revival.

Whitman, Chaucer, and Eliot, each in his own way explores how natures annual spring awakening encourages us to look for a corollary in people. Whitman feels devastated that Lincoln, a beacon of human aspiration, is felled by very human hatred. Chaucer delights in the variety of human behaviors against the background of, and in contrast to, natures unchanging pattern.

In a sense, though, Eliot might be the most apt window into our current experience. Eliot was writing not only after the carnage World War I but the great influenza pandemic of 1918 as well. I also note the similar sources of both the Spanish flu and our pandemic. The Spanish flu is said to have entered humanity in the spring from an avian source: our coronavirus is thought to have crossed into the human bloodstream from a bat.

I am struck with how both pandemics remind us that as uplifting as springs revival is, nature, in the form of a virus carried by creatures of the natural world, can offer a counter narrative and remind us that it is neither friend nor foe, neither supportive nor hostile.

Rather, it just is. No doubt, human activity influences the natural environment, and disrupts natural patterns. But human nature, as opposed to Nature with a capital letter, has its own consistency in its seemingly unquenchable appetite for outbursts of mindless violence as we have seen in the recent civil unrest in response to an unspeakable act.

On the one hand, my lilacs will, as they do, bloom on schedule. And on the other, people, sadly, will do as they do.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

Stephen Lewis, originally from Brooklyn, New York is a retired college English professor and writer whose novels include three mysteries set in northern Michigan. Contact stevelew@charter.net.

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Stephen Lewis: A meditation on what spring portends - Traverse City Record Eagle

Human Behavior

Try this app to avoid ticks this summer – Futurity: Research News

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You are free to share this article under the Attribution 4.0 International license.

A new app could help you avoid ticks and the risk of contracting Lyme disease.

We dont want people to be afraid. We just want them to take a few precautions so they can still enjoy being outside, says Jean Tsao, an associate professor in the fisheries and wildlife department at Michigan State University who researches ticks and tick-borne illness and helped develop The Tick App.

More than 300,000 people contract Lyme disease each year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control.

dont panic. Just be aware, take proper precautions and enjoy being outside this summer.

We know being in nature is good for peoples health, but we just dont want them to have a bad experience with ticks or tick-borne diseases, Tsao says.

Tsao worked with scientists at Columbia University and the University of Wisconsin to develop the smartphone app, The Tick App. It provides information on ways to prevent tick exposure. The app also shows how to identify different kinds of ticks and the diseases they transmit.

In addition, app users have the opportunity to be citizen scientists and help researchers understand how human behavior influences the risk of contracting ticks. Close to 3,000 people used the app in 2019, Tsao says.

Were interested in knowing if people use prevention methods, which prevention methods are used and what factors might influence the prevention methods used, Tsao says. These data will aid the development of more effective prevention strategies.

Tsao says one of the best ways to prevent contact ticks is to avoid their habitat.

When hiking, its important to remember to not stray from the trail, she says. This is particularly relevant now during the coronavirus crisis since people need to social distance by staying six feet away from others, even on trails.

If you start feeling ill, go to a doctor and show him or her your tick.

Also, people should do a thorough tick check after being in tick habitat and take a shower or bath to reduce the chances of getting Lyme disease.

Lastly, Tsao says if you do get bitten by a tick, carefully grab it with tweezers at the point closest to your skin to remove it. Then, take a clear photo and submit it to The Tick App so the team can identify the species.

Afterward, put the tick in a plastic bag labeled with the date and geographic location where you think you may have contacted it, then store it in your freezer.

If you start feeling ill, go to a doctor and show him or her your tick, Tsao says. The species and degree of swelling can help with diagnosis and treatment. But dont panic. Just be aware, take proper precautions, and enjoy being outside this summer.

Download The Tick App for free here or find it on Google Play or the App Store.

For more on ticks and tick-borne disease, visit the CDC.

Source: Michigan State University

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Try this app to avoid ticks this summer - Futurity: Research News

Human Behavior

Why clients leave (and what to do about it) – dvm360

It hurts when a client chooses to leave your veterinary practice. Customer attrition not only can make you feel like failure, it threatens the viability and growth of your business.

When we study why clients leave veterinary practices, we tend to focus on the clients themselves, butdoing so treats only the symptoms, not the disease. Customer churn is usually the end result of a long chain of events, the root cause of which is almost always leadership and culture. Lets approach this topic from a different angleone rooted in biology and psychology.

Much of human behavior can be understood from the perspective of chasing or avoiding hormones and neurotransmitters:

At the core of every behavior, every action, every goal, we are looking to amplify some of these chemicals and minimize others.

What hormones and neurotransmitters are dominant in your workplace? If you motivate employees through serotonin and dopamine, you have probably found them to be capable motivators. People like chasing rewards, and they will always work to avoid cortisol. But this comes at a costeven if its largely hidden. Cortisol and dopamine are meant for short bursts and are unsustainable. Oxytocin and serotonin are the hormones that we should be artfully employing to create happier, more productive and more fulfilling environments.

The primary source of discontent among staff and clients alike in veterinary practices is failed leadership. The hospitals leaders aren't incapable or bad people, but they absolutely need to change their approach. A leader has two primary responsibilities: to ensure the physical and emotional safety of their tribe, and to provide clear guidance on where the tribe needs to go.

Consider the following scenario: A technician administers the wrong medication to a dog. The dog has a bad reaction and almost dies. The technician is in distraught. Her supervisor can structure the ensuing conversation using one of two contrasting styles of leadership: correcting mistakes versus providing safety.

Listen, Becky, we just cant have this. That was a serious mistake. And its become a pattern. I need you to figure this out, or we just cant have you here. Do you understand?

I guarantee you that Becky will be motivated to correct her mistakes after this conversation, but I doubt shell be successful. She will have a high baseline of cortisol when working. Nobody does their best work that way. Shell be thinking about her fears and insecurities instead of the task at hand.

Hey Becky, please sit down. You know, when I was your age, I misplaced an IV line in a dog that was recovering from surgery. The dog almost died. I was devastated. I felt like a failure, like I just wasnt cut out for this. I almost quit that evening. But I wasnt a failure, and you arent either. Now, how can I help you?

This conversation provides Becky with what she truly needs to course correct: emotional safety. Most of us are afraid that we arent good enoughthat there is something lacking within us, and maybe that something is intrinsically wrong. But it isnt true. What real leadership does is help us to believe in ourselves. This is the most powerful gift you can give someoneand we all deserve it.

Downstream of leadership is culture. When you work to prioritize the emotional safety of your team, their self-confidence and their feelings of connectedness to the larger mission, you create the necessary conditions for exceptional culture, one in which people lift each other up, are attentive to each others emotional needs and self-actualize.

When a team is constantly worried about messing up, they inevitably underperform and self-isolate. Cortisol haunts their every action. But a team whose psychological needs are met can develop their talents and serve the deeper needs of your customers.

Once the practice leadership is effective and the culture is empowering, you can forcefully address the last link in the chain: how you are making your customers feel. This is the sole determinant of why clients stay or leave, and their needs are actually the same as those of your staff: They want to avoid cortisol. They love genuine bonds and feelings of self-worth, and you and your team should strategize about how to create these neurochemical experiences at every possible stage of the veterinary visit.

How are you reducing cortisol during their time in the waiting room and exam room? How are you encouraging feelings of self-worth and status when they walk through your door? How about when you speak with them? How do your interactions encourage the release of oxytocin?

Once you are here, I would encourage you to become fanatical about reverse-engineering a customer visit from the perspective of how youre making someone feel. Its hard work, but you now have the right questions to ask.

Luckily for them, they have you.

Robert Sanchez is the founder and CEO of Digital Empathy, an award-winning web design and marketing firm for veterinary practices. He frequently lectures at national conferences, leads a team of wonderful employees, sits on the board of VetPartners and shares his home with two very spoiled dogsCole and Lula.

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Why clients leave (and what to do about it) - dvm360

Human Behavior

Aggressive rodents not issue in LR, experts say – Arkansas Online

Despite federal public health officials' warnings of "unusual or aggressive behavior" by starved rodents in cities shut down by the coronavirus, exterminators say Little Rock-area rats and mice have kept their usual routines.

The lack of a stay-at-home order likely helped the state's whiskered, string-tailed residents, according to pest professionals and experts.

Ongoing business activity kept rats in apple cores, chicken bones and ketchup packets, said Richard Sims, a pest control manager for Curry's Termite, Pest and Animal Control.

Some cities that did close a little bit more "had more of a larger [rodent] presence felt, just because of the absence of the food," he said. "[But] I am not observing anything here in Central Arkansas."

Jim Fredericks, chief entomologist with the National Pest Management Association, agreed. "Many of the rats in these metro areas are under food stress right now, and part of that is due to the shelter-in-place restrictions and the quarantine restrictions," he said.

[CORONAVIRUS: Click here for our complete coverage arkansasonline.com/coronavirus]

In May, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its website urged health regulators to watch for upticks in rodent activity, drawing comparisons with behavioral changes seen after natural disasters. Industry webinars emphasized the same issue, Sims said.

But thus far, the Arkansas Department of Health hasn't received reports of newly mobilized vermin, said that agency's public health veterinarian, Dr. Laura Rothfeldt.

She surmised that could be because of grass and fields in close proximity to the capital city, as well as fewer business interruptions amid the outbreak.

"We don't have that big concrete jungle. They have options," she said of rats, mice and other rodents. "We do have concerns about it, of course, if that were to happen, because they are vectors of certain diseases."

In Arkansas, environmental health officials look into rodent complaints to monitor for leptospirosis and salmonella, bacterial infections that spread via animal urine and feces. Tularemia, another infection, comes from the rodents' ticks and fleas.

The illness most popularly associated with rats -- plague -- hasn't been seen in Arkansas since at least 1970, according to CDC data. (Research published in the journal PNAS in 2018 also questions a connection between rats and the Black Death pandemic, which killed millions of people but actually may have spread through body lice and human fleas, scientists wrote.)

Broadly, it isn't as if Central Arkansas lacks for rodents, exterminators say. Since January, Sims said, he has had more than 80 commercial calls to attend to house mice, roof rats and Norway rats, often in the downtown area where sewers and structures are older and to their liking.

"The Heights is probably one of the most expensive real estate [locations] in Little Rock, but it has almost as much rodent activity as downtown, just because it's an older neighborhood," he said. Plentiful bird feeders in that area don't help.

Though he's seen few changes in rodent activity levels this spring, recent heavy rains are the sort of weather that leads to more rat, mouse and ant calls, said John Clark, an owner of Clark Exterminating in North Little Rock.

Sightings also surge in the fall, in his experience. When the weather turns, rodents scout places to nest, squeaking through air-conditioning units, holes in gas lines or dryer vents -- "anything the size of a dime," he said.

NO 'APOCALYPSE'

Nationally, the CDC's rat alert sparked a rash of lurid headlines, including reports of possible cannibalism among rats in New York City. But experts said most people shouldn't worry -- much -- about four-footed intruders.

"What we aren't going to see are hordes of angry rats leaving the downtown area," Fredericks said.

People should work to control any infestations as they usually would, he said, in part because mice are thought to contribute to allergies and, via chewing of electrical cords, to house fires.

Hendrix College biology professor Maureen McClung, whose research studies how human activity affects animal behavior, said she found the CDC's choice of words "kind of vague," adding that people shouldn't feel anxious about "aggressive" rodents.

"I would not imagine by this term that folks have thrown around -- 'aggression' -- that we should expect rats to be attacking us in our beds at night," she said. "This isn't the rat apocalypse."

Rats and mice are shy by nature and most active at night, so unusual behavior could mean being out during the day or being more bold, she said. More signs of their activity -- droppings, nests, a growing urine smell -- also can suggest strain as they fan out in search of food.

While rodent stress or, in the worst case, population collapse might sound tolerable, even agreeable, to some, McClung said it would cause problems for owls, hawks and larger mammals, all of which eat rats and mice.

For that reason, she suggests avoiding the use of rat poison and glue-style traps, so as not to inadvertently hurt backyard birds and other animals. Many people enjoy and want to support that wildlife, she said, even if they're not too concerned about rodents.

"No one's got their binoculars out to look at the rats," she said.

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Aggressive rodents not issue in LR, experts say - Arkansas Online

Human Behavior

Clumsy baby elephant looks embarrassed after falling face first into the mud – Yahoo Singapore News

With self-drive safaris now allowed again in Kruger National Park after seven weeks of lockdown in South Africa, I didnt waste any time and took the opportunity to visit the Park for a day. It did not take too long before I came across a small herd of elephants standing around a mud wallow. It was a hot morning in the African bush and the elephants took the opportunity to cool down, splashing mud all over their bodies. While keeping their bodies cool with the mud, the elephants also get the opportunity later on to clean their rugged skins by scratching of the dry mud, using a tree or rock to scratch against.

In the process the elephants get rid of ticks and parasites trapped in the dry caked mud on their bodies. Majority of the herd finished their mud bath and slowly moved on. At the mud wallow remained a male baby elephant and his mother. The mother elephant casually continued splashing herself with mud while her calf was already covered in mud. The calf caught my attention when he stopped splashing mud over himself and started leaning forward slowly. It looked like the baby elephant was attempting to rub his forehead in the mud. That idea did not go so well for the baby elephant. While leaning forward to get his forehead in the mud, the elephant calf suddenly slipped and fell, face first into the mud. Like lightning the baby elephant got back onto his legs, looking a little flustered and embarrassed at the same time.

The elephant calf immediately turned around, slowly climbed up the bank and went to hide in the nearby bushes. Again, this behavior gave me the impression that the elephant calf felt a little embarrassed by his face plant into the mud. I felt sorry for the little one but at the same time found the whole incident funny. Immediately I could relate the incident back to the scenario when you fall flat on your face in public, quickly jump with the hope that no one saw you, then slowly making an effort to disappear while acting as if nothing happened. I left the scene with a smile on my face and I was filled with the greatest admiration for how much of the behavior of the baby elephant could be related back to our own human behavior.

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Clumsy baby elephant looks embarrassed after falling face first into the mud - Yahoo Singapore News

Human Behavior

Returning to work: But what about the dog? – The Topsail Advertiser

Time at home together for the past few months has provided a wonderful opportunity for many families to add four-legged buddies to their homes. They have either adopted or volunteered to foster a pet in need.

As the COVID-19 directives move through new phases, many of these adopters and foster folks are now able to return to work. This also means routines are disrupted which affects not only the humans but the dogs, too.

An important function of the Blue Ridge Humane Society is not only to find homes for pets, but to help keep pets in those homes. A suddenly misbehaving dog can unfortunately lead an owner or foster to think the only solution is returning the pet to the shelter.

So lets look at the Rule of Threes, first, to understand how your new dog has adapted to his home initially, and then why you may see undesirable behaviors as things change.

For the first three days after you bring a new dog home, they feel overwhelmed, scared, or unsure. They may not eat or drink for a while, they may shut down - their personalities are repressed.

Some dogs may test new boundaries by trying to escape. Give the new pal both patience and time; it gets way better.

After about three weeks in their new environment, dogs will start to settle in, feel more comfortable because by now they have figured things out. As they get more into a routine, they start to show their true personalities.

But along with this growing confidence, new behavior issues may also arise that should be addressed with consistent training.

Finally the first three months have passed and most (not all) dogs by this time are pretty comfortable because they have forged trusted bonds with their humans. Their routine is set by now, and along with that comes a sense of security within this new family.

One unexpected positive of the COVID-19 stay-at-home order has been that entire families have remained at home with their new pets. The dog has provided welcome company for the family. In return, the pup has received affection and playtime.

There is an established routine with everyone present to participate, and dog and family have created strong bonds. Many foster families have actually adopted their foster dogs; they have fallen in love and now have new family members.

All good, right? For the most part, yes. As the COVID-19 guidelines progress into new phases, big changes happen. Adults start to return to work and childcare resumes in limited capacities.

What does this mean to the dog that enjoyed being the center of attention 24/7 with their humans? As their people become less available, dogs will experience disruption in their routines just as they were feeling settled in.

Even dogs that have been longtime family members, not recent adoptees or fosters, will have their routines disrupted. Behavior issues in the once calm dog can surface now, like stress or separation anxiety.

To alleviate stress, its a good idea for families going back to work to develop a plan to make their dogs alone hours more interesting. Enrichment activities could include interactive puzzle toys to leave out for the dog. Dog TV is an app on television. Leaving music on while youre gone may help. For techies, there is even a smart phone app that allows you to operate a treat dispenser remotely.

Maybe a trusted neighbor who knows your dog well could provide an outdoor break with playtime. Rotate these enrichment techniques to stave off boredom dogs can lose interest in often-repeated activities.

Arriving home from work, you should anticipate that your dogs energy level will surge. Time for exercise then, maybe an extended walk - but even this activity could uncover new issues. Being sequestered, families and their dogs havent routinely been to dog parks or socialized with other people, including other children.

Be aware that having spent so much time with only your family, your pup could have become very protective of you. Closely supervised socialization may be needed now when meeting other people and dogs.

During these unusual times, dogs certainly feel stress, but humans do, too. Adopting a dog, especially an adult dog, is stressful. Add to that the stress of being sequestered for weeks and weeks, being laid off work whatever your situation may be. Now add the stress of going back to work and the new challenges of your dogs changed behavior.

You could be thinking this dog is just not a good fit; returning the dog to the shelter appears to be a difficult but necessary solution. Please consider that it might be your own stressors that have understandably exceeded anyones normal limits under these abnormal circumstances.

Maybe we can try to accept that stress is a human normal reaction to these times. But we can manage, one issue at a time, with help.

Blue Ridge Humane Society can help you relieve one of these stressors: behavioral issues your dog may be experiencing. Let us partner with you and your dog to manage your new routine.Your dog needs his new home, and he is still the dog you adopted and love.

For advice and counseling on pet behavior issues, reach out to the BRHS Pet Helpline at 828-393-5832 and leave a message with your contact info and questions. Our staff will get back to you with advice, ideas, and possible resources.

The Blue Ridge Humane Society, Inc., is a 501(c)3 animal welfare organization providing animal rescue and adoption services; low-cost vaccine clinics; education programs and training classes; pet food assistance; emergency vet assistance; and the Spay/Neuter Incentive Program (SNIP), which is a collaboration with Henderson County, the City of Hendersonville, and the Henderson County Animal Services Center.

Learn more by visiting http://www.blueridgehumane.org or call (828) 692-2639.

Gail Buzby is a member of the Board of Directors for the Blue Ridge Humane Society.

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Returning to work: But what about the dog? - The Topsail Advertiser

Human Behavior

Life, disease and fear across the years – Abilene Reporter-News

Arthur Cyr Published 1:45 p.m. CT June 12, 2020

The media'sfocus on COVID-19 continues, even as we begin to reopen and return to a more normal existence. To provide context, media talking heads often mention the devastating Spanish Flu pandemic 0f 1918.

The reference ignores health challenges over the intervening decades.

This is strikingly similar to superficial discussion of the international financial crisis of 2007-08, often described as the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Arthur Cyr(Photo: Contributed Photo)

In both the economic crash of a decade ago and the current public health challenges, descriptions of the past often ignore important developments between the earlier time cited and the present. That is revealing.

Consider the decades between the onset of the Great Depression and the financial crash early in the current century, which resulted from casino-capitalism style speculation.

In the 1970s, a destructive threat faced the international economy stagflation, meaning high inflation combined with high unemployment. Earlier, professional economists especially in the academic world had confidently predicted this devastating combination could not occur.

A belief based on the Phillips Curve, which indicated historically there was a direct tradeoff between inflation and unemployment, turned out to be mistaken regarding future developments. Once again, as through history, collective human behavior undermined assumptions based on selective evidence drawn from the relatively recent past.

During the 1960s, rapidly escalating U.S. federal spending and fiscal deficits brought on the curse of relentlessly rising prices, and the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) oil embargo and extreme price increases of 1973 and 1979 fueled the financial flames. High and rising unemployment failed to provide the sort of relief expected by acolytes of the Phillips Curve.

High oil costs rapidly spread through other parts of the economies of industrialized nations generally, and growth stagnated. This continued through the decade. Paul Volcker, nominated by President Jimmy Carter to head the Federal Reserve Board, finally broke the back of the inflation beast with restrictive monetary policy and high interest rates. Significant strong economic growth followed.

Before the stagflation decade, flu pandemics plagued the United States and many other nations. During 1957-58, the Asian Flu was a major public health problem. The pandemic originated in China, as the misnamed Spanish Flu of 1918 probably did as well.

The Hong Kong flu came to the United States in September 1968 and spread rapidly. Troops returning home from service in the Vietnam War in Southeast Asia introduced the virus. President Lyndon B. Johnson was among the many who became severely ill as a result.

Approximately 100,000 Americans and an estimated 1million people worldwide died from the Hong Kong flu. This was far less than the estimated 675,000 Americans and 50 million people worldwide who perished from the 1918 flu.

The 1968-69 U.S. flu illness and death rates were roughly comparable to what is occurring now. Mercifully, young people appear to be relatively immune to COVID-19. That was not the case with these earlier pandemics.

Yet there were no mass isolations, government restrictions or media obsessions. People generally viewed disease as a part of life. The scourge of polio, which devastated children, only was defeated in 1955 with the Salk vaccine. The last case of smallpox in the U.S. was in 1949.

The good news is collectively we are so secure that anything less is a shock. The bad news is that we are extremely vulnerable to fear.

Fear can kill an individual, institutions, and eventually a society.

Email Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College, acyr@carthage.edu.

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Life, disease and fear across the years - Abilene Reporter-News