“Elliot Ness” - Cook County Sheriff’s Office K-9
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Above and beyond their place as family companions and in traditional service occupations, dogs in Illinois serve in an ever-widening spectrum of therapeutic roles. The physical and emotional benefits to humans that come from relationships with dogs are now recognized and utilized by psychiatric facilities, assisted living centers, hospitals, schools . . . even prisons.
While serious attacks by dogs are rare, the intense media coverage that may accompany such an incident can mislead the public and/or lawmakers into imagining that dogs pose a significant threat to the community. Sensationalized publicity, combined with a lack of understanding of the infrequency of dog attacks, and of their causes, has resulted in reactive and uniformed policies directed against certain types of dogs. At least ten different towns or cities in Illinois have banned or restricted certain types of dogs in the mistaken belief that the appearance of a dog governs its behavior . . . or the behavior of its owner.
Today, dogs pose less of a threat to humans 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 instrumental in reducing the number of reported dog-related injuries in Illinois and throughout the country.
Partnered with Sheriff’s Police Officer Debbie Thedos, “Elliott Ness” was certified as a cadaver dog by the North American and Illinois Police Work Dog Associations after just three months of training.
National Canine Research Council