Dogs on the Job

Service dogs have been defined as animals that are trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities (Wikipedia). These animals serve many purposes for each type of disability. Protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act these loyal companions help those with visual and auditory impairment, those with PTSD, diabetes, paralysis, MS, cancer, autism, epilepsy, etc. Service dogs are trained to call 911, assist during seizures, and to calm down people who have PTSD (usdogregistry.org). "According to the University of Arizona, 0.9% of persons with disabilities are partnered with service dogs. In 1990, Congress found that there were 43 million Americans with disabilities, suggesting there are approximately 387,000 service dogs across the US." (servicedogcentral.org).

Another type of service dog is the police dog. The most common breeds of police dog are the German Shepherd, beagles, Labrador retrievers, Doberman pinschers, Bloodhounds, and the Belgian Malinois. Police dogs are defined as "K-9's" or "K9's" in some English speaking countries that are trained to assist police and other law enforcement in their work (Wikipedia). The work of police dogs consists of searching for drugs and explosives, looking for lost people and crime scene evidence, and protecting their handlers (Wikipedia). K9's often retire at about 10 years of age(nationalpolicedogfoundation.org).

Dogs are the most common species of service animal due to their trainability, intelligence, and loyalty. Service dogs are found more commonly in western countries most likely because of the values Westerners have it comes to dogs and their treatment as more than just pets. Reliable, trustworthy, and man's best friend- canines are the best species for the job when it come to service.