“Sheepherder Inside his Wagon with Dog” Courtesy: Buffalo Bill Historical Society, Cody, WY. *
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Throughout the years many people in Wyoming 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 Wyoming.
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 nationwide.
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* Photo by Charles J. Belden (1887-1966). The image of a sheepherder and his dog listening to a radio inside a covered wagon conveys the close relationship humans and dogs have shared in Wyoming. In this case, a herding dog offers companionship to his owner after a day’s hard work.
National Canine Research Council