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Guide Dogs & Guide Horses
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Police Dogs & Military Animals
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Clancy, the MPCA’s mercury-detecting dog
Mercury-Free Zone,
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
(MPCA),
State of Minnesota
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DISASTER SEARCH & RESCUE
Land of PureGold Foundation, Inc.
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IDAHO SEARCH & RESCUE DOGS INC.
Idaho Search & Rescue Dogs, Inc. (ISARD)
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BORSTAR Canine Program
Border Security, Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue
(BORSTAR), CBP Border Patrol,
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP),
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
[ 9 June 2003 ]
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You have undoubtedly heard the expression, “Some of us have to work for
a living.” Well, some pets have to work too! In the strictest
sense, working animals are not considered to be pets; they
are domesticated animals either bred or trained to perform a particular
task or function. However, quite often a working animal bonds with
its owner or handler to such a degree that it is, in fact, considered to
be both pet and companion. Occasionally a pet may be trained as a working
animal. This is especially true for dogs, which have proven to
be the most versatile of all working animals.
Dogs collectively serve as eyes for the blind and assistants for the
disabled (guide dogs), perform military and police work
(police dogs), search for disaster victims and missing persons
(search and rescue dogs), pull loads (sled dogs), herd
and protect grazing animals (herding dogs), flush and retrieve
game (hunting dogs), assist in therapy (therapy dogs),
and sniff out explosives and contraband (detection dogs). Dogs
have even shown the ability to locate precious minerals, identify
cancerous lesions in patients and warn of impending seizures.
Horses have long been faithful servants, even helping to turn the
tide of history in the Americas. The Aztecs, having never seen horses,
believed the Spaniards who brought them were gods. This misconception
gave Hernando Cortés the advantage he needed to conquer the Aztecs
and destroy their empire. The opening of the American West was
performed on the back of the horse.
The invention of steam and reciprocating engines initiated the decline in use
of the horse as a beast of burden and primary mode of
transportation in North America; this, looked upon from the
horse’s point of view, was probably a good thing. Horses remain
one of our most respected work animals, used for herding, recreational
riding, nostalgic load bearing (romantic evening carriage rides and
weekend hayrides) and the very popular sport of racing. In many Third
World countries, horses, donkeys, mules and oxen continue to be used
extensively for farming and load bearing tasks. In countries such as
Afghanistan, horses are still used in warfare.
Authored by Kenneth L. Anderson.
Original article published 29 July 2003, updated 30 April
2006.
Follow links to the right to learn more about competition and working animals. This page showcases working animals,
with an emphasis on working dogs such as guide dogs, rescue dogs and
therapy dogs, and some of the organizations engaged in their training,
care and management.
At the left margin, Related Links address topics of interest
pertaining to locating a pet, protecting your
pet’s well-being and health, and maximizing your pet’s quality
of life. If you desire to become a pet owner, check out
Pet
Adoption & Rescue. If you already own a pet, you may be
especially interested in
Pet
Care & Pet Health and
Pet
Products & Supplies. View the
Pets & Companion Animals SiteMap
for a complete list of pets and companion animals topics.
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