Petunia visits Maryland classrooms with the Greenbelt-based Partnership for Animal Welfare’s Responsible Pet Ownership (RPO) Program
From Gracie, canine mascot to Maryland’s 1st Artillery during the Civil War, to Boomer, the recipient of the MVMA award for extraordinary work in search and rescue, dogs have served the residents of Maryland in dozens of capacities.
Maryland recognizes the value of dogs, and in 1964, designated the Chesapeake Bay Retriever as the official state dog.
Above and beyond their place as family companions and in traditional service occupations, dogs in Maryland 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 and even prisons.
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 drastically lowering the number of reported dog-related injuries in Maryland and throughout the nation.
At times, the media spotlight on an individual dog attack can create the impression that dogs pose a significant threat to the community. Sensationalized publicity, along with a lack of knowledge about the causes of dog attacks and a failure to appreciate how truly infrequent serious dog attacks are, has resulted in reactive and uniformed policies directed against certain types of dogs. In 1997, Prince George’s County banned certain types of dogs in the belief that focusing on the appearance of a dog will address the behavior of a dog. . . . or the dog’s owner.
Fortunately, most of the residents of Maryland understand and recognize the value of dogs, irrespective of their individual physical characteristics.
National Canine Research Council