Our dogs and cats provide us great solace (most of the time!).  We love them, and care for them, and they give back to us emotionally.

But they can be so much more than that!

Service dogs have been around since, well, since early human existence!  Archeology has uncovered artifacts representing the relationship between humans and dogs.  They worked together to hunt, to provide the early warning system against enemy encroachment, and to help fight off enemies.

Romans were known to have used dogs with their armies, and there are recorded references to dogs providing disabled assistance back to the 16th century.  Guide dog schools were known to have been established around the time of World War I, and there are references indicating such training was formally organized in Europe as far back as the late 1700’s.

Our photo here is from an organization called the Service Dog Project (SPD) in Ipswich Massachusetts.  Their mission is to increase the number of assistance dogs to those who are mobility impared.  SPD is a non-profit organization, and they report that as of March 2012, they had donated 42 dogs!

Wonderful!

Check our the Service Dog Project website!