Christian Petetson
reporter.riverbendnews@gmail.com
Dogs are a man's best friend; everyone has heard this saying. Some people believe it, while others do not, but one thing is universally agreed upon: dogs and humanity work very well together. In 600 B.C., Alyattes of Lydia used dogs against the Cimmerians in war. Atilla the Hun used large dogs in his war campaigns, Frederick the Great of Prussia used dogs as messengers during the Seven Years' War, and Napoleon Bonaparte used dogs during his war campaigns as well. In the United States, dogs were used for military purposes during the Seminole Wars. Today, they are used by the United States military and by law enforcement agencies across the country.
On March 13, 1942, the United States Army created the War Dog Program, otherwise known as the K-9 Corps. Because of this significant date, since then, March 13 has been known as K-9 Veterans Day. It was initially celebrated to honor the dogs who served during World War II. However, it has since expanded, especially with the expansion of the use of dogs in the military and law enforcement.
Sergeant Stubby is one of the most well-known K-9 Veterans. He was a Boston Terrier mix who served during World War I. He served in a total of 17 battles during the war. He could hear the high-pitched sound of artillery before soldiers could see or hear anything; his job was to alert the soldiers to incoming artillery so they could duck. He was incredibly helpful in finding missing soldiers as well. It is also claimed that at one point, Sgt. Stubby singlehandedly caught a German spy. He is the only dog to ever be nominated for an official military rank.
Lucca was another standout military member. She was an explosives detection K-9, who served in over 400 bomb detection missions. She found over 40 confirmed explosives during her service. Lucca retired after losing one of her front legs due to an explosion. However, she was awarded the Dickin Medal, a medal instituted in 1943 by the United Kingdom to honor the work of animals during WWII and beyond.
Dogs continue to be some of the most valuable teammates the military and law enforcement can have. On the military side of things, they help find bombs, locate missing soldiers and alert soldiers to danger. On the law enforcement side of things, K-9s are invaluable. They help locate illegal substances and track down escaped inmates or runaway criminals. They help find missing people, and they are perfect for community relations. While support dogs have never served, they also provide an invaluable service to Veterans and law enforcement officers. Helping them to understand their trauma, deal with it, and be a shoulder to cry on.
Another aspect of law enforcement that K-9s help with is the Department of Corrections. In fact, 28 handlers just graduated from the Florida Department of Corrections K-9 academy. “These graduates exemplify the Department's mission to protect public safety within our communities,” said Florida Department of Corrections Region II Regional Director of Institutions John Palmer. “As these officers return to their home institutions, their communities can feel a further sense of security knowing they have these highly trained professionals ready to serve and protect with unwavering dedication and commitment.” The primary role of K-9s in the Department of Corrections is to pursue escaped inmates. However, this has become less common over the years, so now they are often brought in to assist local law enforcement.
The graduating K-9 tracking teams came from the following institutions:
• Apalachee Correctional Institution
• Baker Correctional Institution
• Central Florida Reception Center
• Century Correctional Institution
• Dade Correctional Institution
• Franklin Correctional Institution
• Gulf Correctional Institution
• Hernando Correctional Institution
• Holmes Correctional Institution
• Jackson Correctional Institution
• Jefferson Correctional Institution
• Lancaster Correctional Institution
• Liberty Correctional Institution
• Madison Correctional Institution
• Marion Correctional Institution
• North West Florida Reception Center
• Okeechobee Correctional Institution
• Polk Correctional Institution
• Reception and Medical Center
• South Florida Reception Center
• Sumter Correctional Institution
• Suwannee Correctional Institution
• Tomoka Correctional Institution
• Union Correctional Institution
• Wakulla Correctional Institution