Kaia Primary Source Discussion:
The primary source I chose to share is a photograph titled “Gifted Guide Dog to a Blind Man.” The photo dates back to October 1951, and it is from the Los Angeles Examiner Photograph Collection of 1920-1961, created by Emery. The collection was a daily newspaper containing photos of various news worth sharing with the city. From the context of this image, its purpose was to share an affectionate moment between a man and his new service dog, and from the looks of it, he is ecstatic to receive such a special gift.
Guide dogs have a complex and unique relationship with their human, as they can assist them in ways that other people or objects lack (1). Through their 6th sense, dogs can maneuver through their surroundings and feel when something ahead or people around them are not alright. No matter the job they are trained to do or their situation, their priority is caring for their people, proving their title of “man’s best friend.” Living without one of our senses is challenging and can get lonely and service animals can take some of that loneliness away from always being by your side. Seeing the man’s face in the photo brings me joy because I know that his world is about to change for the better with his “new set of eyes.” Connecting back to one of the focus questions in unit 7:
What constituted “work” or “labour” for any particular group of animals in any given time period? Can we know what activities a horse, dog, burro, tiger, or elephant might have conceived of as labour or work at any point in the past?
For dogs in the 1900s, being used for sledding and a variety of services (guiding, hunting, war aid, etc) were the main “labouring” jobs as they could not pull heavy loads like equine and oxen could (2). If the animal enjoyed what they did, I do not think they conceived their jobs as “labour” unless people forced it on them. With dogs being “people pleasers,” it is doubtful they viewed their jobs as actual jobs and not as a fun, mind-stimulating activity. That being said, we will never truly know. What are your thoughts on this? How do you think horses conceived their jobs compared to dogs?
