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Profile of the World's Most Influential Pets
Most of us who have pets consider them fairly influential. They greet us when we get home from work, comfort us when we're feeling down and snarl viciously at the evil postman who might or might not be planning to kill us in our sleep. Throughout history, pets have evolved in their roles as human companions from simple food sources to service animals to friends, but there are a few world-famous pets that have shaped history as well as the lives of their human counterparts.
Guide Dogs
Some of the world's most influential pets have been guide dogs who serve as the eyes, ears, hands and feet for disabled individuals all across the world. Guide dogs are put through rigorous training at institutions specifically designed for this cause and are only released to their masters once they can be trusted. These world-famous dogs are often Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds and even Boxers.
A female German Shepherd named Buddy was the first such influential pet in the U.S. She served a man named Morris Frank, who lived in Tennessee and was the dog who began The Seeing Eye, a training center for guide dogs. That was back in the 1920s and service dogs have changed the world as we know it, particularly for the disabled.
Rescue Animals
Since the early 1950s, when Lassie first graced our television screens, we humans have been charmed by the thought of rescue animals who fearlessly save the lives of humans, and dogs aren't the only brave souls. In 1965, a world-famous quarter horse named Charlie pulled his owner's five-year-old son from a river to save him from drowning in West Virginia.
My list of the world's most influential pets also includes the 350-odd dogs that used their highly developed sense of smell to locate victims in the World Trade Center catastrophe. They were able to fit through small openings and crawl unimpeded through the wreckage, displaying not only bravery but also a desire to help.
Animals in War
General Robert E. Lee rode his horse, Traveller, in the Second Battle of Bull Run and discovered that Traveller was not only a beautiful animal with great breeding, but also a fearless warrior. Lee claimed that Traveller saved his life four times during that battle.
Smoky, another famous dog, was a four-pound Yorkshire Terrier who boosted morale during World War II by flying with soldiers on combat missions into Borneo and the Philippines. The book Yorkie Doodle Dandy was written about Smoky in 1996 to commemorate his brave efforts and influence upon the troops.
Animals in Space
How many young boys and girls dream of one day soaring into space aboard space ships to visit distant lands? There have been several animals who have bravely done just that and have earned their spot on the list of the world's most influential pets.
Albert, a rhesus monkey, was the first animal in space and made it 39 miles into the sky before he died of suffocation. Almost ten years later, a squirrel monkey named Miss Baker and her companion, a rhesus named Able, were the first monkeys to visit space and return safely and alive.
In 1957, another world-famous pet entered space, this time in orbit aboard Sputnik 2. Laika, a beautiful Siberian Husky, survived the flight.
Pets in the White House
John Calvin Coolidge, the 13th President of the United States, claimed that candidates who didn't like animals did not belong in the White House. This is illustrated by the numerous world-famous pets that have made their way to the United State's top office. Chelsea Clinton, daughter of William and Hillary, brought her two cats to the White House when her father took the presidency, and George W. Bush has brought with him Spot Fetcher Bush, the son of Bush Senior's English Springer Spaniel.
Animal Mascots
The list of the world's most influential pets cannot forget animal mascots. These animals serve as symbols for athletic teams, educational institutions and other establishments world-wide, and instill hope and spirit within the people they represent. Baylor University used lived bears as their mascots until the late 1920s and TOM II, the Bengal tiger mascot for the University of Memphis, is a favorite world-famous pet.
If you visit Texas A&M University, you'll find many mentions of Reveille, a Collie mascot. The first Reveille was a mixed-breed, while the second was a German Shepherd. A&M is currently heralding the eighth Reveille, the sixth Collie mascot and a favorite of all students.
The world's most influential pets have included animals of all breeds, species and abilities. From presidential pooches to monkeys orbiting space, humans have come to rely heavily on their four-legged friends.