April 1, 2024 • 11 mins
Embark on a fascinating journey through the history of service animals. From ancient civilizations to modern-day society, discover the profound impact of these remarkable creatures on human lives. Explore how service animals have evolved from companions to essential helpers, providing support and assistance to individuals with disabilities. Learn about the diverse roles service animals have played throughout history, from guiding the blind to assisting people with mobility challenges and emotional support.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
For many long centuries, animals and men have roamed the
earth in quest for survival. Both hunted constantly to fill
their needs for food, water, and shelter. And as animals
and man roam the forest and plains, they came into
contact with each other, first as predators and later as
trusted companions and friends. And as both of these species
(00:26):
evolved through the centuries, so did their relationships with one another.
So today let's talk about service animals. When you think
of a service animal, you may think about dogs, and
you would be right. However, you must not forget there
are many other service animals who continue to help mankind.
Can you guess some of them? Well, I can think
of horses, oxen, yaks, cats, and camels, and then there's elephants, falcons, monkos,
(00:52):
and even carrier pigeons. So let's take a deeper dive
into some of these wonderful service animals around the world.
Most long lasting and popular service animal around the world
is arguably the dog. And you may wonder how the
dog gained this honored position. While we must go back
two hundred to four hundred thousand years ago, when gray
(01:13):
wolves called wolf like canids roamed the earth, Man was
evolving at this time and was hunting, building fires, and
starting settlements in caves and wooden structures in the same
areas as the wolf like canids. Man and canids started
coming in contact with each other. Maybe these canids attacked man,
and man hunted the canids. They both acted as wary predators.
(01:36):
But slowly, over time, the canids came closer and closer
to man's settlements in search of easy food, maybe scraps
left around the fire or small animals kept in cages
like pigs and sheep. The canid slowly became more accustomed
to the sight and smell of humans, and humans became
more accustomed to them, sometimes leaving out scraps of food
(01:57):
for them to build trust or stop attacks. The canids
and man started to form a symbiotic or helpful relationship.
The canids would use man for protection against larger animals
or for food, and man would rely on canids to
alert them to danger or nearby food and water sources.
Over many years, some of these canids became more accustomed
(02:18):
to and friendly with man, while others stayed wild as wolves.
These friendly canids produced offspring who were then raised around
humans and humans would treat these special canids with care
and attention, slowly gaining their trust and training them to
do tasks like hunting and retrieving or guarding their homes
in animals. Over the centuries, the canaid's descendants became the
(02:41):
domesticated dog breeds we see today. Humans then train these
dogs to be herd dogs like Border Collies and Australian
sheep dogs, guard dogs like German shepherds, bird dogs like
Golden retrievers, hunting dogs like hounds and terriers, sleigh dogs
like huskies, or mountain rescue dogs like Saint Bernard's. On
(03:01):
every continent, specific breeds of dogs develop based on the terrain, people,
and needs in that area. Ancient Egyptians revered dogs as hunters, guides, protectors, companions,
and even friends in the afterlife. Egyptian pharaohs had their
loyal dogs images carved on their tombs, a symbol of
the strong bond they had formed with their trusted furry friends.
(03:23):
Monks in the Middle Ages train their dogs drough a
tree of items and turned the spit on the fire
while roasting their meat. Then, in the fifteen hundreds, the
first reported incident of a dog guiding a blind Man
occurred when a German physician saw a dog guiding a
blind man around the streets of Nuremberg. By the early
(03:44):
nineteen hundreds, humans harness the incredible abilities of dogs, their intelligence,
adaptability to training, and empathy to become guide dogs for
the blind, with organizations popping up in the United States
and the UK. At the same time, World War One
was brewing in Europe, and dogs were sent into battle,
doing everything from running messages between battle stations, carrying supplies,
(04:08):
guarding equipment, and providing comfort to soldiers. Later, during World
War II, dogs were again called into service as messengers,
guards and companions, but also for digging tunnels and hunting
for food in the jungles. More recently, service dogs abilities
have evolved even further than hunting, herding, protecting, and retrieving.
(04:29):
They now provide hearing assistance for the deaf, mobile support
for the disabled, medical alert notifications for diabetics and epileptics.
They also are mental health companions and do search and
rescue and end of life comfort. People now use them
during flights to curb panic attacks or to paw them
when they're about to experience a blood pressure drop or
(04:50):
a seizure. The dogs fetch bottled water, pills and blankets.
Support dogs lay on the beds of the sick in
the hospital to offer love and comfort. And dogs have
been used around the world in numerous search and rescue operations,
digging through rubble, listening for voices, and barking alerts. Dogs
(05:11):
are also a resource to law enforcement, acting as police
canines chasing and detaining criminals. I have a friend who
is a canine police officer and once we got to
go watch him at a tournament, and it was a
lot of fun and very impressive what these dogs can do.
They can sniff out hidden bombs, people, and substances. And
dogs have even been sent into space to test the
(05:32):
safety of space exploration for humans, with Russia sending dogs
into space seventy one times between nineteen fifty one and
nineteen sixty six. But even though dogs certainly take a
large share of the service spotlight, they are many wonderful
creatures around the world helping man every day. Horses have
been an amazing helper to humans for many centuries. In
(05:54):
ancient Rome, they pulled golden chariots around dusty race tracks
or into battle. Their sturdy hoofs thundering past at tremendous speed.
They plowed fields in humble hamlets, or raced across plains
carrying fierce Native Americans hunting buffalo. They thundered hundreds of
miles across the United States delivering mail for the Pony Express,
(06:15):
and polled carriages, wagons, and stagecoaches over multiple continents. They
delivered passengers, packages and food. They charged into battles and
raced through the night on historic rides by Paul Revere
and Sybil Luddington. There are still an important service animal
to many people and communities, carrying people, food, and packages,
(06:35):
working as law enforcement horses, competing track races and Olympic events.
Another very popular service animal is the cat. For centuries,
the cat has been honored or hated, depending on the
time and history. The ancient Egyptians honored cats as gods
who offer protection against serpents, while other civilizations considered them
the helpmates of witches. In the last couple of centuries,
(06:57):
cats have come back in favor as service animals due
to their hunting skills and night vision. They quickly eliminate rats, snakes,
and mice from houses, streets, cities, and even battleships, thus
curbing the spread of deadly diseases and keeping mankind safe
and healthy. I've even seen videos where electricians use cats
to carry wires through tunnels, since cats are so curious
(07:19):
and love to explore dark caves and heidi holes. Or
we could go to the Himalaya region, where the amazing
yak has been a helpmate to humans there and other
remote mountainous regions for centuries. Their large bodies, strong backs,
and big lungs make them perfect for carrying heavy loads
across large distances and at high altitudes. Plus, their milk
(07:40):
is a favorite ingredient in their meals, just like we
enjoy cow or goat milk. Many climbers rely on yaks
to help them reach tremendous mountains such as Everest and
k two and bring all their gear to base camp,
everything from tents and food to hiking gear and medical supplies.
If people had to do this all by themselves, they
would be too exhausted to hike the mountain once they
(08:02):
reached it. And just like the sturdy yak, mighty oxen
have been helping people through the centuries, plowing fields, pulling wagons,
and dragging heavy beams, bricks and blocks across many continents
on Earth, and we must not forget our fluffy flying friends.
In the medieval ages, falcons were used by the nobility
as hunting birds due to their incredible speed, strength, and eyesight.
(08:25):
Falcons were trained to hunt and retrieve rabbits, birds, and
other small creatures to add food to their table, and
pigeons have been used to carry secret messages across many
miles and through historic battles. People found that pigeons long
flying ability and instincts to return home made them very
useful when other forms of communication were not available, such
(08:46):
as telegrams, letters, and phones. Camels and elephants have been
used in service for centuries in Asia, Africa, and the
Middle East. They can travel long distances and their bodies
are strong and sturdy, allowing them to carry heavy loads
of supplies, timber, and people for thousands of miles across
vast deserts, thick jungles, and high mountain ranges. They've been
(09:09):
used by kings, sultans, bedouins, and common folk for transportation
and load carrying throughout history and to this day. Have
you ever heard of a mongoose in Europe? Africa? And Asia.
These creatures are man's best friend when it comes to
the slippery, slithery cobra. While most animals and people are
frightened of cobras and their deadly bites, the mongoose has
(09:32):
a natural component in their DNA that makes them resistant
to a snake's deadly venom. Looking like a small cat
or a large furrey rat, they're quick and agile, with
strong teeth and sharp claws, the perfect match for the
striking cobra. In ancient Mesopotamia or Asia, the mongoose was
(09:52):
revered as a god and prayed to for protection against serpents.
The mongoose has been celebrated for its life saving abilities
and stories in films from Disney's The Jungle Book to
Sherlock Holm Mysteries and the Adventure of the Crooked Man.
I hope you enjoyed this episode about animals who have
served through human history. If you'd like to learn more
(10:12):
about amazing animals, listen to our other episodes, including The
Midnight Ride of Sybil Lueddington, Unseekable Sam, the Battleship Cat, Jeep,
the Flying Coyote, The Life Saving Dog Sled Race, Bobby
the Wonderdog, Gunboat Judy and the history of cats and
crows at Halloween. There's something for everyone, from dogs, cats,
and horses to coyotes and crows. I'd love to hear
(10:35):
from you and learn about the service animals in your life.
Do you have a special cat, dog, horse or other animals?
What do you call your pet? What are your pets
special talents? If you could have one service animal, what
would it be and why? A shout out to one
of our newest donors, Adrian from Sandy Springs. Thanks so
much for donating. If you donate using Patreon or Apple subscription,
(10:58):
you can get access to our full catalog of episodes
ad free and get a shout out. We had a
few responses, one from a lease in Bangkok, Thailand. Wow,
that's all the way across the world. How fascinating. She
said she'd like an episode about ice cream. That's a
great idea. Ronan in Australia asked for an episode about
ned Kelly and one about Nathan Hell Those are both
(11:20):
great ideas too. And then we also heard from Meaning
in Singapore who said this year, I spent Halloween tricker
treating in my neighborhood wearing my cat costume, and then
she had a candy exchange during her ballet lesson where
they gave and received candy to each other. I had
an unforgettable time. Thanks for letting us know about that. Yanning,
Singapore sounds like a fascinating place to visit and from
(11:42):
all the way around the world, that's very cool. Thanks
for listening to this episode about service animals, and be
sure to tune in next Monday for a new episode.
For many long centuries, animals and men have roamed the
earth in quest for survival. Both hunted constantly to fill
their needs for food, water, and shelter. And as animals
and man roam the forest and plains, they came into
contact with each other, first as predators and later as
trusted companions and friends. And as both of these species
(00:26):
evolved through the centuries, so did their relationships with one another.
So today let's talk about service animals. When you think
of a service animal, you may think about dogs, and
you would be right. However, you must not forget there
are many other service animals who continue to help mankind.
Can you guess some of them? Well, I can think
of horses, oxen, yaks, cats, and camels, and then there's elephants, falcons, monkos,
(00:52):
and even carrier pigeons. So let's take a deeper dive
into some of these wonderful service animals around the world.
Most long lasting and popular service animal around the world
is arguably the dog. And you may wonder how the
dog gained this honored position. While we must go back
two hundred to four hundred thousand years ago, when gray
(01:13):
wolves called wolf like canids roamed the earth, Man was
evolving at this time and was hunting, building fires, and
starting settlements in caves and wooden structures in the same
areas as the wolf like canids. Man and canids started
coming in contact with each other. Maybe these canids attacked man,
and man hunted the canids. They both acted as wary predators.
(01:36):
But slowly, over time, the canids came closer and closer
to man's settlements in search of easy food, maybe scraps
left around the fire or small animals kept in cages
like pigs and sheep. The canid slowly became more accustomed
to the sight and smell of humans, and humans became
more accustomed to them, sometimes leaving out scraps of food
(01:57):
for them to build trust or stop attacks. The canids
and man started to form a symbiotic or helpful relationship.
The canids would use man for protection against larger animals
or for food, and man would rely on canids to
alert them to danger or nearby food and water sources.
Over many years, some of these canids became more accustomed
(02:18):
to and friendly with man, while others stayed wild as wolves.
These friendly canids produced offspring who were then raised around
humans and humans would treat these special canids with care
and attention, slowly gaining their trust and training them to
do tasks like hunting and retrieving or guarding their homes
in animals. Over the centuries, the canaid's descendants became the
(02:41):
domesticated dog breeds we see today. Humans then train these
dogs to be herd dogs like Border Collies and Australian
sheep dogs, guard dogs like German shepherds, bird dogs like
Golden retrievers, hunting dogs like hounds and terriers, sleigh dogs
like huskies, or mountain rescue dogs like Saint Bernard's. On
(03:01):
every continent, specific breeds of dogs develop based on the terrain, people,
and needs in that area. Ancient Egyptians revered dogs as hunters, guides, protectors, companions,
and even friends in the afterlife. Egyptian pharaohs had their
loyal dogs images carved on their tombs, a symbol of
the strong bond they had formed with their trusted furry friends.
(03:23):
Monks in the Middle Ages train their dogs drough a
tree of items and turned the spit on the fire
while roasting their meat. Then, in the fifteen hundreds, the
first reported incident of a dog guiding a blind Man
occurred when a German physician saw a dog guiding a
blind man around the streets of Nuremberg. By the early
(03:44):
nineteen hundreds, humans harness the incredible abilities of dogs, their intelligence,
adaptability to training, and empathy to become guide dogs for
the blind, with organizations popping up in the United States
and the UK. At the same time, World War One
was brewing in Europe, and dogs were sent into battle,
doing everything from running messages between battle stations, carrying supplies,
(04:08):
guarding equipment, and providing comfort to soldiers. Later, during World
War II, dogs were again called into service as messengers,
guards and companions, but also for digging tunnels and hunting
for food in the jungles. More recently, service dogs abilities
have evolved even further than hunting, herding, protecting, and retrieving.
(04:29):
They now provide hearing assistance for the deaf, mobile support
for the disabled, medical alert notifications for diabetics and epileptics.
They also are mental health companions and do search and
rescue and end of life comfort. People now use them
during flights to curb panic attacks or to paw them
when they're about to experience a blood pressure drop or
(04:50):
a seizure. The dogs fetch bottled water, pills and blankets.
Support dogs lay on the beds of the sick in
the hospital to offer love and comfort. And dogs have
been used around the world in numerous search and rescue operations,
digging through rubble, listening for voices, and barking alerts. Dogs
(05:11):
are also a resource to law enforcement, acting as police
canines chasing and detaining criminals. I have a friend who
is a canine police officer and once we got to
go watch him at a tournament, and it was a
lot of fun and very impressive what these dogs can do.
They can sniff out hidden bombs, people, and substances. And
dogs have even been sent into space to test the
(05:32):
safety of space exploration for humans, with Russia sending dogs
into space seventy one times between nineteen fifty one and
nineteen sixty six. But even though dogs certainly take a
large share of the service spotlight, they are many wonderful
creatures around the world helping man every day. Horses have
been an amazing helper to humans for many centuries. In
(05:54):
ancient Rome, they pulled golden chariots around dusty race tracks
or into battle. Their sturdy hoofs thundering past at tremendous speed.
They plowed fields in humble hamlets, or raced across plains
carrying fierce Native Americans hunting buffalo. They thundered hundreds of
miles across the United States delivering mail for the Pony Express,
(06:15):
and polled carriages, wagons, and stagecoaches over multiple continents. They
delivered passengers, packages and food. They charged into battles and
raced through the night on historic rides by Paul Revere
and Sybil Luddington. There are still an important service animal
to many people and communities, carrying people, food, and packages,
(06:35):
working as law enforcement horses, competing track races and Olympic events.
Another very popular service animal is the cat. For centuries,
the cat has been honored or hated, depending on the
time and history. The ancient Egyptians honored cats as gods
who offer protection against serpents, while other civilizations considered them
the helpmates of witches. In the last couple of centuries,
(06:57):
cats have come back in favor as service animals due
to their hunting skills and night vision. They quickly eliminate rats, snakes,
and mice from houses, streets, cities, and even battleships, thus
curbing the spread of deadly diseases and keeping mankind safe
and healthy. I've even seen videos where electricians use cats
to carry wires through tunnels, since cats are so curious
(07:19):
and love to explore dark caves and heidi holes. Or
we could go to the Himalaya region, where the amazing
yak has been a helpmate to humans there and other
remote mountainous regions for centuries. Their large bodies, strong backs,
and big lungs make them perfect for carrying heavy loads
across large distances and at high altitudes. Plus, their milk
(07:40):
is a favorite ingredient in their meals, just like we
enjoy cow or goat milk. Many climbers rely on yaks
to help them reach tremendous mountains such as Everest and
k two and bring all their gear to base camp,
everything from tents and food to hiking gear and medical supplies.
If people had to do this all by themselves, they
would be too exhausted to hike the mountain once they
(08:02):
reached it. And just like the sturdy yak, mighty oxen
have been helping people through the centuries, plowing fields, pulling wagons,
and dragging heavy beams, bricks and blocks across many continents
on Earth, and we must not forget our fluffy flying friends.
In the medieval ages, falcons were used by the nobility
as hunting birds due to their incredible speed, strength, and eyesight.
(08:25):
Falcons were trained to hunt and retrieve rabbits, birds, and
other small creatures to add food to their table, and
pigeons have been used to carry secret messages across many
miles and through historic battles. People found that pigeons long
flying ability and instincts to return home made them very
useful when other forms of communication were not available, such
(08:46):
as telegrams, letters, and phones. Camels and elephants have been
used in service for centuries in Asia, Africa, and the
Middle East. They can travel long distances and their bodies
are strong and sturdy, allowing them to carry heavy loads
of supplies, timber, and people for thousands of miles across
vast deserts, thick jungles, and high mountain ranges. They've been
(09:09):
used by kings, sultans, bedouins, and common folk for transportation
and load carrying throughout history and to this day. Have
you ever heard of a mongoose in Europe? Africa? And Asia.
These creatures are man's best friend when it comes to
the slippery, slithery cobra. While most animals and people are
frightened of cobras and their deadly bites, the mongoose has
(09:32):
a natural component in their DNA that makes them resistant
to a snake's deadly venom. Looking like a small cat
or a large furrey rat, they're quick and agile, with
strong teeth and sharp claws, the perfect match for the
striking cobra. In ancient Mesopotamia or Asia, the mongoose was
(09:52):
revered as a god and prayed to for protection against serpents.
The mongoose has been celebrated for its life saving abilities
and stories in films from Disney's The Jungle Book to
Sherlock Holm Mysteries and the Adventure of the Crooked Man.
I hope you enjoyed this episode about animals who have
served through human history. If you'd like to learn more
(10:12):
about amazing animals, listen to our other episodes, including The
Midnight Ride of Sybil Lueddington, Unseekable Sam, the Battleship Cat, Jeep,
the Flying Coyote, The Life Saving Dog Sled Race, Bobby
the Wonderdog, Gunboat Judy and the history of cats and
crows at Halloween. There's something for everyone, from dogs, cats,
and horses to coyotes and crows. I'd love to hear
(10:35):
from you and learn about the service animals in your life.
Do you have a special cat, dog, horse or other animals?
What do you call your pet? What are your pets
special talents? If you could have one service animal, what
would it be and why? A shout out to one
of our newest donors, Adrian from Sandy Springs. Thanks so
much for donating. If you donate using Patreon or Apple subscription,
(10:58):
you can get access to our full catalog of episodes
ad free and get a shout out. We had a
few responses, one from a lease in Bangkok, Thailand. Wow,
that's all the way across the world. How fascinating. She
said she'd like an episode about ice cream. That's a
great idea. Ronan in Australia asked for an episode about
ned Kelly and one about Nathan Hell Those are both
(11:20):
great ideas too. And then we also heard from Meaning
in Singapore who said this year, I spent Halloween tricker
treating in my neighborhood wearing my cat costume, and then
she had a candy exchange during her ballet lesson where
they gave and received candy to each other. I had
an unforgettable time. Thanks for letting us know about that. Yanning,
Singapore sounds like a fascinating place to visit and from
(11:42):
all the way around the world, that's very cool. Thanks
for listening to this episode about service animals, and be
sure to tune in next Monday for a new episode.
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