Coal, a rescued pit bull, is a certified search and rescue dog in Indiana.
While dogs continue to serve in many of their traditional functions in Indiana, dogs have 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 Indiana.
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 six towns or cities in Indiana have banned or restricted certain types of dogs in the profoundly mistaken belief that the appearance of a dog governs its behavior . . . or the behavior of its owner.
Fortunately though, most of the residents of Indiana understand and recognize the value of dogs, irrespective of their individual physical characteristics.
Today, dogs contribute more to the welfare of individuals and society than perhaps any other time in the history of the human dog bond. Additionally, over the past three decades, 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 Indiana and throughout the nation.
National Canine Research Council