On Dec. 23, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that all working and service dogs will join the list of official state creatures, reported TWC News.
Service dogs go through enormous amounts of training to dedicate their lives to helping a human in need. This may entail sensing upcoming seizures, guiding a blind person through their everyday life, providing comfort and love to someone suffering from PTSD or depression, as well as many other tasks that help people live happy lives with disabilities.
Working dogs include those who work in the police force as bomb- or drug-detecting dogs, in the military, in the fire brigade, as guard dogs, as search-and rescue dogs, and more, explained BarkPost.
These dogs go above and beyond the expectations of their species and contribute actively to human society. Any breed of dog can be trained to be a service or working dog, but the most common service dogs are Labrador and Golden Retrievers, and the most common working dogs are German Shepherds.
"Every day, working dogs protect, comfort and give their friendship and affection to New Yorkers in need of assistance. These devoted companions embody the spirit of New York - hard working, loyal and eager to serve," said Cuomo, reported BarkPost.
Working and service dogs absolutely deserve this honour and recognition. They help thousands of people live their lives comfortably when they otherwise would have had a very hard time doing so. They keep us safe, and help keep our society running. Thanks, service and working dogs!
