The Human-Canine Relationship
I
recently saw a paw print magnet on the back of someone’s car that read “Who Rescued Who?” What an amaz-
ing sentiment! The second I read this I had a warm, loving feeling in my heart. Those three simple words hold a tremen- dous amount of meaning for me and I’m sure they do for many of you. With the exception of a short time
in the beginning of college, I have al- ways lived with dogs, and sometimes cats. Growing up we always had dogs, just like my parents did when they were growing up. As a young adult, I adopted a wonderful Australian Shepherd named Frankie. Australian Shepherds are sup- posed to be reserved around strangers and are often even stand off-ish. When I pulled up to the farm where Frankie had been staying, I saw several dogs running around. As I opened my car door, one hopped in. I remember thinking, I hope this is the one who needs to find a for- ever home and it was. Little did I know that living with Frankie would change my life forever and I would spend the next thirteen years with one of the noblest ani- mals I have ever met. Frankie and I did every thing togeth-
er. He went with me to college classes, parties, hiking trips and camping trips. Frankie even went to wilderness emergen- cy medicine and rescue courses with me. He went on class field trips and lay in the back of the classroom while I gave major
22 September 2010
presentations to my college professors. On college graduation day, I remember leaving the house with Frankie by my side just as I did most every morning. I was implored by a concerned family member not to bring him. After much discussion, I decided to leave Frankie home. At the graduation ceremony, my advisor, speak- ing to the entire college graduating class, asked where Frankie was because he had attended more classes than most of the people graduating that day. Frankie had become a regular at all my school func- tions.
Funniest thing, dogs were not al-
lowed in college buildings or on many of the trips Frankie accompanied me on. Frankie was an exception, or was he? What made him stand out? We had a very deep connection. Frankie just seemed to know what I wanted and he would do it. It was as if he could read my mind. We seemed to be able to clearly communi- cate without words. Our desire to hang out together created a bond that allowed us to flow through life almost as if we were one. And no one could ask for a better friend. The end of college proved to be a very big stepping stone for me. Thankfully I had the never-ending love and companionship of this amazing be- ing.
I had the incredible experience of
spending 13 years with Frankie. Along the way we did some incredible things.
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One of the most important and influential experiences on my life was when the two of us established a pet therapy program at a local hospital. Weekly we would visit children and adults on the psychiatric ward. Frankie had a real gift for sharing his unconditional love with everyone, es- pecially these patients. I feel honored to share some of my most cherished mem- ories of my friend Frankie, and I know many people have similar relationships with their canine companions. Dogs perform many roles for people,
such as hunting, herding, protection, as- sisting the police and military, and par- ticipate in other sports such as Frisbee and agility. Service dogs act as guides and supports for those with disabilities. They serve people with visual and hear- ing impairments, autism, and psychiatric illnesses. Dogs are alerting us when their handler shows signs of an impending seizure, sometimes well in advance of onset, allowing the owner to seek safety, medication, or medical care. Dogs have an incredible sense of smell and research is underway to see how effective they are at identifying certain types of cancer. Pet therapy is an integral part of care given in hospitals and nursing homes all across this nation. Dogs work along side humans to search for victims of disasters, such as the recent ones in Middletown, CT and Haiti. The most common service dogs provide for humans is companionship.
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