Meet The Newfoundland Dogs Watching Over Beachgoers In Maine

(smithsonianmag.com) "A state park in Maine is welcoming a new lifeguard to its roster this summer. But unlike his fellow employees, the park’s newest hire doesn’t need to wear sunscreen—or a swimsuit, for that matter. Meet Buoy, an 11-month-old Newfoundland hired to help keep swimmers safe at Scarborough Beach State Park in southwest Maine. Now that he’s officially on the payroll for the summer, he’ll follow human lifeguards into the Atlantic Ocean whenever there’s an emergency. It’s his job to help tug both guards and victims to safety.

Buoy is the park’s second canine lifeguard on duty. Last summer, the park, which is situated about ten miles south of Portland, hired its first dog to help patrol the beach: a Newfoundland named Beacon, who is now 2 years old. According to WGME’s Alison Murtagh, the two talented pups are the only ocean lifeguard dogs in the nation. The park’s leaders hope Buoy and Beacon will set an example for other beaches and communities.

“People respect them,” Greg Wilfert, the park’s manager, tells WGME. “They come up and ask if they can pat them and we let them, and they're very affectionate dogs.” So far, the dogs are serving as “second responders.” When someone in the water needs help, a first responder—a human lifeguard—springs into action. Then, a second human lifeguard and one of the dogs follow close behind with a piece of floating rescue equipment. After the human lifeguards get the victim onto the device, the dog helps pull the entire group back to the beach.

The dogs are so strong that they can easily pull three or four people to shore, as Wilfert told News Center Maine’s Jackie Mundry last year. “They can tow a boat—they're very strong swimmers," he added.

The dogs are training with the American Academy of Canine Water Rescue, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that helps water-loving dog breeds, like Newfoundlands and Labrador retrievers, enhance their natural instincts to rescue people. Trainers with the academy have been certified by the Italian School of Rescue Dogs (SICS), a longstanding organization that’s been training nautical rescue dogs and their human handlers in Italy for more than 30 years.

Rescue dogs are a common sight on Italy’s beaches—and they even learn how to leap out of helicopters to save lives, per the organization’s website. Around 300 SICS dogs and their human handlers patrol roughly 30 Italian beaches, reported CNN’s Nicola Ruotolo and Amy Woodyatt in 2021. Three SICS dogs—Eros, Mya and Mira—made headlines that year when they helped bring a group of 14 swimmers safely to shore amid high winds at a beach in Sperlonga.

In Maine, where beachgoers are still getting used to the idea, rescue dogs are “just another tool to use with the lifeguards,” as Wilfert told the Portland Press Herald in 2021."

Father's Day

I never had the chance to say “farewell” to my father on his final day. There were no signs, there was no pain, save for the anguish that is mine each day. If only I knew his day had come, I’d have been by his side to show my deep love. My best friend was leaving, my nightmare had come; for the rest of my life, no longer a son. What words could have shown the depth of my love, or the courage I lacked to exist on my own? The days now are empty, as my soul sits alone, by the stone that marks him in a world dark and cold. My fear never leaves me, my dependence so strong, on the father I lived for, now forever gone. So on each solemn Sunday, as on this Father’s Day, I visit him resting in his eternal bed. I speak to him softly, then I bid him farewell, with the tears of my sorrow, and the words never said. (Stephen Sayad)

Canadian Government Recognizes Newfoundland Dog For Cultural Significance

Executive Council (May 25, 2023)

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador recognizes the Newfoundland dog and the Labrador Retriever as originating in Newfoundland and Labrador, and as an essential part of Newfoundland and Labrador’s historical and cultural heritage.

Both the Newfoundland dog and Labrador Retriever have existed in this province for many years. The Maritime Archaic had dogs as discovered in graves at Port au Choix by Professor James Tuck and carbon dated around four thousand years ago. The first mention of dogs to the province in historical documents is known as early as 1620. Newfoundland dogs are considered the best for their water rescuing abilities and are used around the world. The dog is a symbol of our province and the subject of many stories and legends based on the breed’s bravery and loyalty. Originally, Newfoundland dogs and Labrador Retrievers hauled fishing nets to shore and then pulled the day’s catch to market by cart.

The Labrador Retriever is among the top breeds that work as service, rescue and therapy dogs. The breed is also successful in scent detection work, including the ability to detect health issues in humans. Known for being even tempered and gentle, they have long been the number one in breed registrations in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

Quotes “There are four breeds currently recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club as uniquely Canadian: the Newfoundland dog, the Labrador Retriever, the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, and the Canadian Inuit Dog. Today, our government recognizes not only the cultural significance of the Newfoundland dog and the Labrador Retriever, but we also recognize them as originating in Newfoundland and Labrador.” Honourable Siobhan Coady Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance

“Recognition of these breeds is important, not only for those who value the broader social and cultural history of Newfoundland and Labrador, but for those, in particular, who cherish the two dog breeds so integral to the settlement and development of our province. Over the many years I have researched the history of the Labrador Retriever and Newfoundland dog, I have been struck not only by how important a part these dogs played in helping our ancestors survive, but by how our breeds reflect the virtues which we as a culture value: hard work, devotion to family, generosity of spirit. Like our people, our dogs are ‘salt of the earth’, always ready for a bit of fun, strong in defense of the people and places they love. There is nothing false or superficial about either our people or our dogs. What you see is what you get! Little wonder these dogs are so popular and beloved throughout the world. They are our gift to the world, but they are ours!” (Michael J Woods, PhD)