ohmidog!

The town of Aurelia, Iowa, has declined to settle out of court with James Sak, the former Chicago police officer who says he should be allowed to keep the pit bull mix that helps him cope with the effects of a stroke.

Sak, 65, had to relinquish Snickers last year because the municipality bans pit bulls. He sent the dog to a boarding facility outside Aurelia. Later, an Iowa judge later granted an injunction, allowing Snickers and Sak to reunite (see the video above) and stay together in Aurelia until the case is resolved.

The Animal Farm Foundation, which is helping with Sak’s legal representation, said last week that the town has declined to settle the case, and that a trial has been scheduled for July, 2013, more than a year from now.

Earlier this year, Saks, a stroke victim, was diagnosed with throat cancer. He has been undergoing treatment at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City.

“The worst part of my [cancer] treatment is not having my dog here,” said Sak, who is expected to return home after his hospital stay.

“Jim has been so strong throughout all of this. We know his strength comes from knowing Snickers is waiting for him at home, waiting to do his job as his service animal and his support,” said said Kim Wolf, community engagement specialist for Animal Farm Foundation.

Sak suffered a stroke in 2008 that left him confined to a wheelchair and unable to use the right side of his body. He was paired at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago with Snickers, who helps him walk, balance and call from help in an emergency.

“We want everyone to realize that Aurelia’s decision to use taxpayer dollars to put Jim through the agony of a trial, especially while he’s battling cancer, does not reflect the sentiments of every resident of Aurelia,” Wolf said. “The outpouring of support and disbelief from Jim’s neighbors has been huge.”

Looking at the photos Kim Wolf has been posting on her Facebook page of late, you might think her beloved pit bull is on a mission to gobble up the athletically-inclined on the streets of Philadelphia.

Actually, the closest Wolf’s 8-year-old pit bull, Martha Washington — a therapy dog in training —  has come to harming anyone is drowning them with “her sloppy kisses.”

“I took this picture as she was sailing out the car window on her way to “charm school” at Opportunity Barks,” Wolf said. “The background is the Schuylkill River along Boathouse Row in Philly.”

(No animals or humans — not the bicyclist or or the jogger — were harmed in the making of these photos.)

Martha, aka “The Donkey,” was adopted from the Philadelphia Animal Control Shelter, and is one of six adopted dogs who share a home with Wolf, a geriatric social worker who formerly worked with the Pennsylvania SPCA.

“My two passions in life are: advocating for elders (humans!) and advocating for dogs. So naturally, I was drawn to my two “elderbulls” (i.e., elderly pit bulls), Sarge  and Martha Washington.”

Sarge, 15, is a certified therapy dog, working with Pals for Life. He visits nursing homes, rehab centers, and libraries throughout the Delaware Valley. He and Wolf also volunteer with Citizens for a No-Kill Philadelphia  as “humane educators.”

“We visit Philly schools teaching students about responsible pet ownership, kindness towards animals, and the human/canine bond. Sarge and I also do “freelance” visits at schools, libraries, churches/synagogues, and any other place that’s interested in learning about animals…..especially pit bulls!”

Wolf also authors a a blog called “Elderbulls,” for which Sarge and Martha Washington are columnists. Wolf says the blog was inspired by a Betty Friedan quote — one she says guides her as both a geriatric social worker and an advocate for older dogs:

“Aging is not ‘lost youth’ but a new stage of opportunity and strength.”

(Photos by Kim Wolf)