Animal lovers support creation of new monument to honor working, service and therapy animals
By Kim Campbell Thornton
Andrews McMeel Syndication
Sculptor Susan Bahary and a coterie of devoted animal lovers are leading the push for a new national monument to animals who serve. Their vision -- a National Service Animals Memorial honoring dogs, horses, mules, homing pigeons, dolphins, sea lions and camels, among others -- would be located in Washington, D.C. or its environs.
Conceived as a sculpture garden, it will honor the contributions service animals and their handlers have made throughout the nation’s history. It will include not only military and law enforcement animals, but also search-and-rescue animals and the many animals who provide assistance to veterans and people with disabilities, to name just a few.
The National Service Animals Memorial Act is a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Already passed in the House of Representatives, it must now be passed in the Senate and signed into law by President Biden. It will establish Feb. 24 as National Service Animals Day and provide the impetus for creation of the monument, for which Bahary is the designated sculptor.
“The deeds and sacrifices of our service animals and their handlers have not yet been recognized with a national memorial in our nation’s capital, and they are so deserving,” Bahary says. “Millions of animals have served and sacrificed for us, preserving our freedoms and providing for our safety, security and independence. The memorial will be a beautiful testament to their contributions and will educate, honor, inspire and heal.”
Bahary, who is known for her ability to combine accurate form with lifelike expression, is acclaimed for her works honoring the human-animal bond and service animals. She created the first official war dog memorial in the United States, "Always Faithful," dedicated at the United States Marine Corps War Dog Cemetery on Guam in 1994.
Her works have included a life-size bronze of President George H.W. Bush’s service dog Sully for his presidential library and museum, and the monument "The Pledge," featuring a female soldier and her military service dog. Other commissioned works are located in museums, universities and military bases, as well as abroad.
Creating such a national memorial isn’t simple. Use of federal funds to establish the memorial is prohibited, according to the Congressional Budget Office, so grassroots efforts are necessary for fundraising, education and gathering political support.
Under the provisions of the Commemorative Works Act, any entity that receives a construction permit for a commemorative work must donate an amount equal to 10% of the memorial’s estimated construction costs to the nonprofit National Park Service Foundation. That donation and any project funds remaining after construction can be used to maintain the memorial.
The National Service Animals Monument organization (nationalserviceanimalsmonument.org), headed by Theresa M. Brandon, is raising funds to support the cost of the monument’s creation. It has also created an educational website to inform teachers, parents, students and interested people about the historical significance and contributions of service animals, from aiding people with special needs to serving in the armed forces. (Full disclosure: I am a volunteer member of the educational website committee.)
“Service animals do so much for people who need help with their daily lives, and the world is becoming more and more aware and appreciative of that,” says NBC Sports dog show consultant and television talent David Frei, who is also founder and former president of therapy dog organization Angel on a Leash. “These beautiful monuments and memorials that we are seeing in more places remind us of their extraordinary work, and I am thrilled to see the support of the people and the local governments helping to make it happen.”
Bahary recently received The Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s 2022 Dogs’ Best Friend Award, which comes with a $5,000 donation. She accepted it on Nov. 19 at the National Dog Show and is directing it to support the mission of NSAM.
Q&A
OK to adopt pets
during holidays?
Q: I always heard it wasn’t a good idea to adopt pets during the holidays, but more and more, I see shelters offering holiday pet adoptions. Have times changed?
A: They have, and for the better. It’s true that we used to say it was a bad idea to give a pet as a gift and that the holidays were the worst time to bring a pet into the home, but the key to success is being thoughtful about the process.
Holidays are definitely a busy time, with lots of activities, travel and guests, but you may also have a more flexible schedule, with time off work and kids home from school. That can make it easier to help a new pet adjust to family life.
There’s the concern that a new puppy or kitten -- or even older pets -- will be destructive, chewing or clawing holiday decorations, but pets get into things year-round, not just during the holidays. With thoughtful pet-proofing and supervision, you can ensure that the environment is safe for them and that your decor is safe from them. You’d have to do that whenever you got a pet.
I’ve often heard the objection that kids will quickly lose interest in a pet because they’re distracted by other gifts and activities. As a parent and grandparent, I can safely say that kids are expert multitaskers: If they have really been wanting a pet, they’ll make time to play with and care for them.
Holiday pet adoption campaigns, sponsored by local and national shelters and humane societies, pet supply stores, and pet health insurance and pet food companies, are now the norm. Shelters work with potential adopters to help ensure the transition goes smoothly. The careful and well-planned gift of an appropriate pet can make the holidays merry and bright. -- Dr. Marty Becker
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.
THE BUZZ
Amount of daylight
affects sleep cycle
-- Does daylight saving time affect your pet? Veterinarian Michelle Richardson, in an interview with KRTV in Great Falls, Montana, says you may notice animals becoming less active as days become shorter and darker. That’s because the pineal gland, a small endocrine gland located in the brain that produces the hormone melatonin, has the job of regulating sleep patterns. The pineal is affected by the amount of light and dark that animals (and people) are exposed to. Darkness stimulates melatonin production while light inhibits it. Fun fact: The word pineal refers to the gland’s pineconelike shape.
-- North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine has the only endowed chair in pet gerontology -- the study of aging -- with an associated research program. Neurology professor Natasha Olby, a veterinary internal medicine specialist, holds the Dr. Kady M. Gjessing and Rahna M. Davidson Distinguished Chair of Gerontology and says the program’s research into neuroaging and canine neurodegenerative diseases not only helps pets, but also provides a good model for understanding the effects of aging in humans. Olby and her team work exclusively with aging dogs who live with people in their homes. Those pets experience the same social and environmental factors that affect aging humans: air quality, including secondhand smoke; food; level of exercise; environmental chemicals; and family social structures. “One of the big challenges to modern society is to maintain health span as well as lifespan,” Olby says. “Now, with improved health care for pets, dogs are surviving for longer, and we come across the exact same challenge (as we do with people). I think it’s critically important that we don’t say, ‘They’re just getting old,’ but we pay due attention to the process, understand which things we can alter within the process and advance our understanding of aging, in general.” -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet care experts. Veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker is founder of the Fear Free organization, co-founder of VetScoop.com and author of many best-selling pet care books. Kim Campbell Thornton is an award-winning journalist and author who has been writing about animals since 1985. Mikkel Becker is a behavior consultant and lead animal trainer for Fear Free Pets. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/Kim.CampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.