Bretagne epitomizes the relationship between humans and working animals. Trained for search and rescue, her first assignment was the World Trade Center on 9/11. Not only was she very good at her job she also took on the role of comforter for firefighters and other first responders, nuzzling close and letting them hold her and pet her. She was trained to search, but her love for people made her special.
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This coming Monday is Labor Day, a time when America celebrates the contributions of working men and women who have helped to make our country strong and prosperous. And by the sides of many of those workers are their companion pets, who are … also working?
It’s true - many animals we think of as companion pets actually work to make lives better for humans. Seeing Eye dogs enable people with sight impairments to move about independently. Hearing dogs alert deaf people to such sounds as alarm clocks, doorbells, smoke alarms and babies crying.
Working animals are part of the history of our country. They helped the early settlers hunt, and plow the land. Horses served as transportation. They were the “horse power” for the wagon trains that crossed the prairies. Dogs herded sheep and helped to drive cattle. And how could there have been a gold rush if the miners had not had their pack animals?
Today, with all our modern technology, we still find that working animals are indispensable. We see dogs sniffing out bombs and drugs, and victims of earthquakes and other disasters. They protect property and people. Dogs assist in arson investigations or in therapy sessions with children and adults. They even go to war with our military. In some cities, police patrol on horseback, finding that has advantages over more modern modes of transportation.
And we continue to find new ways for animals to help humans. If you missed my series last month on the American Humane Association’s Hero Dog Awards, you can hear it on APR.org. It’s amazing how much we benefit from our animal companions.
Even if your pet is not a working animal, it can still have a positive effect on your life. Just stroking a pet’s fur has been shown to lower a person’s blood pressure - not to mention the companionship we enjoy with our animal friends.
So on this Labor Day weekend, remember the contribution of the working animals who helped the human workers make our country strong, when you’re speaking of pets.
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