Jack Brutus                                           Stubby

Dogs have been a vital part of Connecticut history.  Over one hundred years ago, during the Spanish American War, the Connecticut military recognized "Jack Brutus" as the official mascot to the 1st Volunteer Infantry. During World War I, Stubby, canine hero of the 102nd Connecticut Infantry, became the most decorated military dog in U.S. history.

In addition to their contributions as military dogs, family companions and  in traditional service occupations, dogs in Connecticut serve in an ever-widening spectrum of therapeutic roles.

The physical and emotional benefits to humans that come from relationships with dogs are now recognized and utilized by psychiatric facilities, assisted living centers, hospitals, schools and even prisons.

Today, dogs contribute more to the welfare of individuals and society than perhaps any other time in the history of the human-dog bond. Increased awareness of the importance of humane care and control of dogs, the enactment and enforcement of leash laws, and dog bite prevention education, have all been instrumental in significantly lowering the number of reported dog-related injuries in Connecticut and nationwide.

Dogs not only enrich the lives of their owners; they also contribute to the well-being of many non-dog owning residents of Connecticut as therapy and service dogs.

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1949: Connecticut State Police Bloodhounds

The Connecticut State Police have a working relationship with dogs that extends back to almost the creation of the department. As early as the 1940s, the CSP was using bloodhounds for tracking. In the early 1960s, the department also began to use German Shepherd dogs for police work. More recently, the CSP uses dogs for arson work, drug detection, and body recovery.

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Stubby being greeted by General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I.

The "pit bull" dog Stubby, not the first military dog in U.S. history, but arguably the most famous, was the mascot of the 102nd Connecticut Infantry Regiment during its tour in France in WWI. Stubby boosted the morale of the soldiers up and down the line, provided occasional early warnings of gas attacks, even woke a sleeping sentry to alert him to a German attack. Stubby is credited with ferreting out a German spy and holding him by his pants until American soldiers arrived to take him prisoner. He was also wounded by a grenade.

Stubby was decorated by two countries, met three U.S. presidents, and was a lifetime member of both the Red Cross and YMCA. He marched in every American legion parade from the end of the war until his death in 1926.

Before Stubby, there was Jack Brutus, official mascot of the 1st Connecticut Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish American War. "Old Jack," as he was known, served as part of the country's coastal defense from Maine to Virginia. He died in 1898.

See Connecticut's official tribute to Jack Brutus and Stubby on their State Government Military webpage: http://www.ct.gov/mil/cwp/view.asp?A=1351&Q=257892

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National Canine Research Council

What is a dog bite?

While the question seems simple enough,  the answer is often not what we imagine.

Dog bite numbers offer little useful information about canine behavior:  Dog bite numbers are simply a tally of the number of people who sought medical treatment and/or reported a break in skin after exposure to a dog’s nail or tooth, – or in other words,  the number of people injured interacting with a dog;  (which may or may not have involved aggression).

So if dog bite numbers provide little useful information about canine aggression, then what can Connecticut dog bite numbers really tell us about canine / human interaction?

Dog bite numbers reveal that there is no “dog bite epidemic” in Connecticut.

Increased awareness of the importance of humane care and control of dogs, the enactment and enforcement of leash laws, and dog bite prevention education, have all been instrumental in significantly lowering the number of reported dog-related injuries in Connecticut and the nation.

Source:   Connecticut Department of Agriculture and Animal Control

National Canine Research Council

Over the past 45 years (1965-present) there has been only one (1) documented case of a dog bite-related fatality in the state of Connecticut.

NCRC's 2011 Preliminary Report on Dog Bite-Related Fatalities illustrates the challenge of accurately reporting on these extremely rare, tragic events. Our mission of preserving the human-canine bond obligates us to be as accurate about these emotionally charged incidents as we can, so that they are calmly, correctly and, therefore, usefully understood. Accuracy takes time.

The single incident that did occur, in 1995, consisted of all-too-familiar elements:

A 4-year-old child visiting a relative’s home in Hartford was allowed to come into contact with the resident dogs without adult supervision.

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Dogs are a negligible cause of mortality in Connecticut:

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

In 2007, 4 Connecticut children died from maltreatment (abuse/neglect).

In a single year, 2007, more than three times as many Connecticut children died as a result of maltreatment than the total of all children killed by dogs in the state over the past 45 years.

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Fact is, people in Connecticut routinely accept far greater risks from ATVs, bicycles and swimming pools than any that are associated with companion animals.

National Canine Research Council