Back in 2016, New York State governor, Andrew Cuomo, signed legislation that made New York’s official state dog the working dog. This included any canine that provided a service, from police and military dogs to guide dogs and service dogs. As Liz Donovan wrote for the #AKC, “All breeds trained to provide a service are celebrated in this law, from the German Shepherd Dog that stands guard at Grand Central, and the Belgian Malinois that patrols with police, to the sweet Golden Retriever that leads his visually impaired owner around the city to the many more working dogs around the state.”
The inspiration behind the bill was “Bari,” the dog of Assemblyman Matthew Titone who was trained as a therapy dog. Titone said, “In the aftermath of 9/11, nearly 100 search and rescue dogs and their brave handlers combed Ground Zero, working around the clock to locate survivors and casualties. On May 2, 2011, after weeks of training and drills, military working dog, “Cairo,” joined SEAL Team 6 on their successful mission to locate Osama bin Laden. The service/working dog embodies the spirit of New York – hardworking, loyal, and eager to serve.”
We wonder. How many of us are living with what’s now the official dog of New York?
Image of Navy SEAL Team 6 canine, “Cairo.” Sadly, Cairo passed away on July 27th, 2016.
Cairo was a 12 year old veteran for the U.S. Navy SEALs, and with his handler, Lloyd, they completed deployments in both Iraq and Afghanistan. They saved many lives and limbs by detecting IEDs, and to the human troops who served with him, Cairo was just one of the guys. He always related to the soldiers, and they to him, but unlike his human counterparts, Cairo made no secret that he always good for a good back scratch. Cairo had a unique ability to work in extremely intense situations, but could cuddle up under a blanket with his handler. RIP, Cairo.