This document discusses the various ways animals are used to assist humans. It describes how service animals help those with disabilities, therapy animals provide emotional support, and hunting dogs assist with hunting various game. The document also outlines how dogs are used for law enforcement purposes such as drug and arson detection, search and rescue, and mounted police units. Military service dogs are discussed, noting their roles in combat, mine detection, and the controversy around their use and treatment.
6. The Hunters: falcons,
hawks, owls or eagles
Strict licensing
requirements (these
are wild birds and
protected species)
The Hunted: rabbits,
squirrels, pigeons,
quail and waterfowl
◦ California Hawking Club
Falconry ------------ A form of hunting
7. “Service Animals” and Hunting
Primary dog breeds used for hunting include beagles, spaniels, griffons, retrievers, setters,
pointers and hounds. Hunted animals include game birds and waterfowl such as pheasants,
quails, partridges, ducks, pigeons. Other animals hunted are squirrels, bears, raccoons,
mountain lions, foxes and other prey.
8.
9. Southern Georgia
Hunting of deer with dogs (called “dog running”)
2003 – legislation severely restricted hunting of deer with dogs – page 124
10. Foxhunting (use of dogs in)
Outlawed in Scotland, England and Wales (“upper-class” landowners opposed
the outlaw – including members of the royal family)
11. The Reality
Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America
About 171 recognized foxhunting clubs in North America and growing
13. Dogs are the most popular animal for guarding
territory and people.
Breeds include Doberman pinschers, rottweilers, komondors, German
shepherds, and chows.
15. Unaccompanied guard dogs at commercial and
industrial sites
Many guard dogs are leased from security companies and rotated around to different
locations so they don’t get accustomed to people in the area. This constant
uncertainty makes these dogs all the more anxious and aggressive.
18. Amish
Draft horses and mules are still used by a few farmers, particularly those in
communities that use traditional farming techniques, such as the Amish.
19. Coalition for New York City Animals
“Let Carriage Horses Run Free: It’s Time to Ban the Practice in New York City”
(see News and Announcements)
21. Many dogs are used by U.S. law enforcement agencies at the local and national
levels to perform important tasks. These agencies include police and sheriff
departments, arson investigators, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the
Federal Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration.
22. Drug Dogs
The dogs are specially trained to work with officers during searches and arrests and to
sniff out illegal substances. Dogs have incredibly sensitive noses. Their sense of smell
is several thousand times better than that of humans. Dogs can smell tiny quantities
of substances and can distinguish particular scents with amazing accuracy. This
natural ability has proven to be an extremely useful tool in law enforcement
applications.
23. Arson dogs are specially trained to sniff for the
presence of accelerants, such as gasoline, at
sites where arson is suspected.
24. Federal agencies that guard U.S. borders have
used dogs since the 1970s.
In January 2009 a retired drug-sniffing dog in England died from a rare type of nose cancer.
Max was a nine-year-old Springer spaniel. The dog's veterinarian believes that sniffing drugs,
particularly cocaine, during his years of service to the police department was a factor in the
development of cancer.
25. Mounted units are popular in both rural and metropolitan areas. The
United Mounted Peace Officers of Texas (November 11, 2008,
http://www.tumpot.org/about.htm) indicate that in 2008 Texas
authorities used 102 mounted units for patrols around the state. They
are particularly useful in backcountry areas on dirt roads and rugged
terrain. Several large U.S. police departments use mounted patrols for
crowd control and to provide greater visibility of officers on the
streets.
26. Mounted units are not without controversy. There have been injuries to horses,
police, and members of the public. Because mounted units often perform crowd
control during protests and demonstrations, the horses and the riders are
exposed to people who may be angry and confrontational. There are reports of
police horses being pelted with marbles and even garbage. Protesters claim that
police often charge their horses into crowds, knocking over and injuring people.
28. National Association for Search and Rescue notes that there
were over 150 SAR dog units across the country in 2009. The
breeds most often used for this work are German shepherds,
Dobermans, rottweilers, golden retrievers, giant schnauzers,
and Labrador retrievers.
29. More than 350 dogs scoured the rubble of the World Trade Center in New York City,
along with their human trainers, looking for survivors and corpses. These dogs were
from all over the United States and from foreign countries. The work was difficult. SAR
dogs suffered from paw cuts and burns, dehydration, burning eyes, and psychological
stress. Some handlers reported that their dogs became depressed after not finding
any live victims and could not eat or sleep normally. Campaigns were begun to collect
donated booties and other items needed by the SAR dogs who participated in helping
during the 9/11 aftermath, and donations poured in from around the world.
31. Since World War II (1939-1945) trained dogs
have been used in military applications to
detect land mines on the battlefield.
32. Mine detection dogs – Afghanistan 2004
According to the Marshall Legacy Institute (2009, http://www.marshall-
legacy.org/!our_dogs/dog-overview.html), approximately 700 dogs are used in
humanitarian demining operations around the world. The dogs' excellent sense of
smell is particularly effective for detecting mines made up of nonmetal
components.
34. According to Assistance Dogs International Inc. (2009, http://www.adionline.org/), a
coalition of nonprofit organizations that train and place assistance dogs, assistance dogs
fall into three broad categories:
(1) Guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired
(2) Hearing dogs for the deaf and hearing impaired
(3) Service dogs for those with other physical disabilities
35. One controversial issue associated with guide dogs is the use of breeding
programs to produce them. Many organizations and training schools
rescue dogs from pounds and animal shelters. This provides good homes
for dogs that might otherwise be euthanized. Animal welfarists are
critical of schools that breed their own dogs because there are already so
many unwanted dogs in the country.
36. Therapy animals provide emotional support or assist in rehabilitation activities. For
example, therapy animals can comfort people undergoing psychological counseling. Many
organizations working with abused children use therapy dogs in their programs. Petting
and hugging the dogs relaxes the children and allows them to open up to counselors.
Similar programs are used to calm children suffering from autism.
37. Therapy dogs also visit hospitals, orphanages, and nursing homes to cheer people
who may be lonely or depressed. Only gentle and social dogs with good
dispositions are used in this work. They must go through rigorous training and
receive Canine Good Citizenship certification.
38. Medical Detection
It is believed that the dogs are able to detect trace amounts of chemicals not
ordinarily present in the breath of healthy people
40. These animals are often On the contrary,
put into tremendous members of the military
danger, and many of say that service animals
them die during their have saved many human
service. lives in battle.
They do not know what They argue that animal
they are fighting for or deaths in war are
against and have poor regrettable but
chances of surviving. permissible if human
lives are saved.
Animal Welfarists/Rights Military
41.
42. According to Wild Horses: An American Romance (January 15, 2008,
http://netnebraska.org/extras/wildhorses/wh_man/wh_war.html), most of the 6 million horses
that served the U.S. military in World War I (1914-1918) were killed. The deaths of millions of
other horses in military service to other countries severely depleted the world's horse population.
World War I was the last war in which horses played a major role in combat.
43. By 1942 all U.S. cavalry units were disbanded.
Coincidentally, this was the same year that dogs
were first officially inducted into the U.S. Army. A
group called Dogs for Defense asked Americans to
donate dogs to the army.
44. It became common practice to euthanize unusable
and retired war dogs or leave them behind on the
battlefield. Animal welfarists and soldiers were
strongly against this policy, particularly after the
Vietnam War (1954-1975).
45. Most service dogs that survived the war were
left behind in Vietnam when U.S. troops pulled
out. The fate of these dogs is unknown.
46. In November 2000 President Bill Clinton signed a new law into effect that
allows retired military dogs to be adopted rather than euthanized.
In December 2005 President George W. Bush signed legislation allowing the
military to adopt out active-duty military dogs to their handlers under certain
circumstances.
47. September 2004 about 2,300 dogs were
working as sentries, detecting land mines and
bombs, and performing SAR tasks for the U.S.
military
48. The military conducts its own breeding
program and purchases suitable dogs from
other breeders. Most dogs have a military
career of around 10 years and are then retired
from the service.
50. Soldiers stationed around the world often
befriend stray dogs and cats in other
countries.
Adopting a pet while on a tour of duty is
strictly against U.S. military rules.
◦ Under General Order 1A, soldiers may receive a
reduction in rank or a court-martial if they are
caught with a pet while in active service overseas.
In 2007 the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals launched Operation Baghdad Pups (http://www.baghdadpups.com/) to assist soldiers stationed in the Middle East with transporting rescued dogs and cats to their home countries. One of these dogs, Ratchet, had been rescued as a puppy from a burning trash heap by U.S. Army Specialist Gwen Beberg. Ratchet made headlines in October 2008, when Beberg's commanding officer seized the dog and refused to let it travel to the Baghdad International Airport to fly to Beberg's home in Minnesota. Widespread publicity about Beberg's plight prompted calls from the public and politicians for Ratchet's release. The U.S. Army relented and allowed Operation Baghdad Pups to transport the dog to the United States. In January 2009 Beberg was reunited with her dog after her tour of duty ended in Iraq.
