Ruby and Sadie: Ruby was voted Companion Animal of the year by the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association (Photo Credit: Pat Bettendorf )*
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How many faithful dogs served their masters well in Minnesota can never be known. What is known, is that throughout the years many people in Minnesota 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 Minnesota.
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 successful in drastically reducing the number of reported dog-related injuries in Minnesota and throughout the nation.
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Ruby, a rescued pit bull, was also inducted into the Minnesota Animal Hall of Fame on February 3, 2007.
National Canine Research Council