New Dog Learns Old Tricks to Delight Disabled Boy

Aaron Paul was inconsolable after his Rottweiler was mauled to death by a pit bull terrier. The dog had been specially trained for the 11-year-old Florida boy, who was born with spina bifida and had both legs amputated. Unlike humans, Barron the Rottweiler didn’t seem to notice Aaron’s handicaps, racing alongside his customized wheelchair and playing Frisbee. Then the Pauls’ insurance company refused to pay to replace the dog, moving an unidentified businessman to donate the needed funds and a dog expert to train the animal for free. So this week, an 18-month-old harlequin Great Dane named Shamu came bounding into Aaron’s life. “While we can never bring back a dear-most friend, we are fortunate to have another friend who in some small way fills the void left by another’s departure,” said Mark Glasgow of Advanced K-9 Systems in a presentation to Aaron in his hometown of Fort Myers.

--The “bombs” that a Miami Beach man set off in his apartment to rid it of cockroaches have worked far better than he ever dreamed. Richard Dickerson had purchased nine cans of bug fogger that he set off in his apartment just as he was leaving for vacation, taping a “Bomb Working” sign on his front door. Neighbors must have thought he was exceptionally prophetic because his apartment promptly exploded. Dickerson, 76, had failed to turn off a stove pilot light in his tiny home, which ignited the bug bombs. The blast shattered windows, brought down the kitchen ceiling and caved in one wall. “It worked much better than he expected,” said Fire Lt. Tom Hurst.

--An unusual road show is playing well in West Germany, and some other traffic-ridden regions might think of making it their own. Taking pity on motorists trying to cope with congestion, a small group of professional therapists and nurses has joined with colleagues from the West German Motorists Assn. and the German Red Cross to form teams of “traffic jam advisers.” The motorcycle-riding angels of mercy weave in and out of traffic measuring blood pressure and taking pulses. Often, they said, only a few words of comfort are needed when those trapped in a traffic jam start to panic. The teams work for 15 weekends during the summer, patrolling busy sections of road outside Hamburg. For the volunteers, there’s a little something extra to grease the wheels. “It’s a way of combining the joy of motorcycling with a useful activity,” said Christina Klossika, who is a trained nurse.