More than "Just a Dog"

I grew up less than 1/2 a mile away from my local police station. I was never fascinated by the human police, but I was intrigued by the K-9 unit. I was a little girl with a love of all animals and was raising a German Shepard/Rottweiler mix, so the outside kennel I would pass everyday, always intrigued me. The DARE program would visit my school and I was always excited that I was able to interact with the police dogs I would occasionally see in that kennel. I understood that those police dogs were different than my dog; they were more than a little girl's "friend."

The occasional seeing-eye dog I would see was held in the same regard. That dog was different than my "friend." That dog was someone's eyes; the light to someone's dark. Those police and seeing-eye dogs were more than just someone's "friend." Those dogs were part of a team; a lifeline.

Fast-forward 15+years and "working" dogs are much more common in my everyday life than they were whilst I was growing up. I see these "working" dogs in action at least 1x a day in NY's Grand Central Station. Sometimes I see the yellow lab puppy getting into trouble by his fellow officer for laying down on the job, sometimes it's the National Guard soldier, a German Shepard, assessing the people with tail wagging & tongue hanging out and sometimes it's the seeing-eye dog helping a person navigate his/her way through the throngs of people. I don't think twice about the police/military dog fulfilling a duty or the seeing-eye dog assisting his partner. They are all on a mission; playing a small, yet huge part in day to day life.

A few months ago, that mission become personal. A service dog became a part of my family and my life. I'm humbled anew by the dedication and devotion that goes into training these service dogs. Pardon the pun, but there is an army of people working to ensure these dogs are experts in their fields and are ready for anything/anyplace that duty dictates. They are dogs yes, but they are so much more. They are our security forces. They are our bomb & drug detectors. They are our eyes and ears. They are a friend. They are someone's confidence, pride & dignity. They are more than a dog. They are someone's partner.  And as such, they and the person/organization that they work with, deserve the up most respect.

I'm deeply saddened to know that these dogs and the partners they work with aren't being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. Please join me in standing up for these amazing human and K-9 partnerships, in any form they come in. To some they might just be a dog, but to those they work with and serve, they are a lifeline.