This Memorial Day, Thank the Dogs Who Serve America
There are more than a few ways that a dog can be a Patriotic Pup and that’s not just about wearing some red, white and blue. Many different breeds of dogs are the perfect companion, but just as many are hard working, service animals that are in the employ of the military as well as civilian police forces.
The military utilizes dogs for a variety of function to protect America. A police dog can be trained to patrol and, in many cases, is many times more effective in subduing a suspect than a human counterpart. From simply helping to watch guard posts or run patrols to assisting armed forces with mine detection, working dogs pull double duty in protecting America; a dog’s senses are much more sensitive and accurate than a human or a machine.
Working dogs are trained to perform specific job duties just like their human coworkers. For example, dogs are extremely useful in search and rescue missions as well as drug detection in border patrol. The animal’s keen sense of smell and retrieval instinct make light work of doing inspections as well as hunting for missing persons in varied terrain. Many officers would not be able to perform their jobs at the same level without their canine companions.
Countless dogs are kept as pets and hold a special place in our hearts. To those animals that serve in a more paws-on experience and know the daily grind as a working dog, there is a greater community purpose to their love and devotion. Homeland security would not be the same without canine resource as detection and inspection agents for airports, transportation interchanges and border posts to find illegal substances in luggage, bombs, chemicals, and vehicles.
Working dogs can also be utilized by sheriff’s offices during search and rescue missions for human remains retrieval at disaster sites or emergencies.
A bevy of dog-related technical gear has been developed specifically for military and police use such as hoists for the animals to be air-lifted and special dog packs for carrying gear. Working security dogs (some are even sworn officers) need just as much protection as their masters and many dogs even wear bulletproof vesting and eye goggles.
The United States Military has been using ‘War Dogs’ as service animals since World War I and a diverse number of breeds have been utilized; however, the most chosen were the German Shepherd and Doberman. Labrador Retrievers are now a more popular option instead of the Doberman. Although no records are available prior to 1968, countless human lives have been saved by War Dogs and as many as 4,000 dogs were listed as service animals in Vietnam. According to the United States War Dog Association, those “canines with courage” gave their lives in order to save other servicemen and women (www.uswardogs.org).
Today, all branches of the Armed Forces have War Dogs and there are approximately 700 currently serving in the Middle East to protect America.
When honoring the memory of those who have served and those who have fallen, a special consideration goes out to our furry, canine friends and the special work they have done in protecting America.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Related posts:
- Most Popular Dogs in America (Graphic)
- Working Dogs and the Jobs They Do: Some Canine's Work is …
- Things To Consider When Adopting A New Dog | Pet Memorial Urns Online
- America's Most Popular Dogs
- America's Most Popular Dogs
