World Trade Center
New Yorkers love dogs. In New York City alone, an estimated 500,000 dog owners share their lives with 1.4 million dogs. The City has created over 40 dog parks where dogs can exercise and socialize.
While “man’s best friend” has not always been treated kindly by man, New York has the honor of being the state in which the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) was founded.
The first animal fighting laws were written by ASPCA founder Henry Bergh in 1867. These laws made all forms of animal fighting illegal in New York State.
From “Owney,” the unlikely mascot of the Albany Post Office, to the dogs that assisted in the aftermath of World Trade Center bombings, dogs have played many parts in the lives of New Yorkers.
Dogs in New York also 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.
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 reducing the number of reported dog-related injuries in New York and throughout the nation.
***
Larry, a 4-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever, is a therapy dog at the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center.
In 2008, the Center, which investigates incidents of child sexual abuse and provides support services to victims, became the first such facility in the state to adopt a therapy dog. Based on the effect Larry has had so far in child abuse cases, center officials are encouraging other counties to consider bringing similar therapy dogs on board. The dog creates a friendly atmosphere for the children; and investigators have noticed that Larry already has helped young victims talk about their abuse.
National Canine Research Council