Kirby – a therapy dog
owned by Fred & Mary Lois Butzi of Wilmington, DE *
How many faithful dogs served their masters well in Delaware can never be known. What is known, is that throughout the years many people in Delaware have relied on dogs to assist in everyday life and to provide companionship.
While dogs continue to serve in many of their traditional functions, dogs have also taken on new and unique tasks that enhance the lives of their owners and the community. Therapy, medical assistance, and search and rescue are only a few of the many services dogs provide to the people of Delaware.
Today, dogs contribute more to the welfare of individuals and society than perhaps any other time in the history of the human-dog bond. Increased awareness of the importance of humane care and control of dogs, the enactment and enforcement of leash laws, and dog bite prevention education, have all been successful in significantly lowering the number of reported dog-related injuries nationwide.
Dogs not only enrich the lives of their owners; they also contribute to the well-being of many non-dog owning residents of Delaware as therapy and service dogs.
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Kirby, a Shetland Sheepdog, was nominated for the 2008 AKC Award for Canine Excellence (ACE) for therapy work in Delaware.
National Canine Research Council