Hero Dogs

Angelyne the Amazing ‘Deaf’ Cattle Dog        

Angelyne is an Australian Cattle Dog who was born completely deaf. She’s an outstanding example to what usually happens with deaf dogs. Many deaf dogs are misunderstood, abused, abandoned, left in shelters or euthanized.

Like most cattle dogs she is very intelligent, work-driven and loyal. She has no idea that she is deaf. She does bark and her sight, smell & sense of surroundings are amazing.  

 

Angelyne knows & responds to 46 different hand signals & non-verbal commands.

Angelyne’s talents  gifts have allowed her and Eric Melvin (her owner) a new purpose in life.

Since 2007, Eric & Angelyne have given 230 talks & demos at schools, special events, carnivals, festivals, pet expos, at-risk youth, centres for the elderly and disabled. In 2011, they made 76 public appearances, demos & presentations to 14,000 people of all ages, abilities and social situations...

Awards for Bravery & Devotion

PDSA Dickin Medal 

The Dickin Medal is a large, bronze medallion bearing the words “For Gallantry” and “We Also Serve” all within a laurel wreath. The ribbon is striped green, dark brown and pale blue representing water, earth and air to symbolise the naval, land and air forces.

During the 2^nd World War (1939-45), PDSA's founder Maria Dickin CBE was aware of incredible bravery displayed by animals on active service and the Home Front. 

Inspired by the animals’ devotion to man and duty, she introduced a special medal specifically for 'animals in war'.

The PDSA Dickin Medal, recognised as the animals ‘Victoria Cross’, is awarded to animals displaying conspicuous gallantry or devotion ‘to duty’ while serving or associated with any branch of the Armed Forces or Civil Defence Units.

PDSA Dickin Medal Dogs

Only 27 dogs have received the PDSA Dickin Medal.

Awards made between 1944 – 1945

Awards made between 1946 – 1949

Awards made between 2000 – to date

PDSA Gold Medal 

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. No human or, for that matter, animal is aware of their heroic capability until placed in an extraordinary situation requiring extraordinary action. The PDSA Gold Medal recognises this.

Quite simply the PDSA Gold Medal is the highest honour for outstanding animal bravery and exceptional dedication in civilian life. 

Eligibility is open to any animal instrumental in saving human or animal life when its own life is in jeopardy or to any animal killed or seriously injured while carrying out official duties in the face of armed and violent opposition.

The Medal bears a depiction of a laurel wreath and the words ‘for Gallantry’ or ‘Devotion to Duty’. Instituted in 2001, the Medal is now widely recognised as the animals ‘George Cross’.

To date all 18 recipients awarded the PDSA Gold Medal have been Dogs. Each of these canine heroes has proven that they are indeed man’s best friend.

Gold Medal Dogs 

To date, only dogs have received the PDSA Gold Medal for bravery or devotion to duty.

• RIP - a mongrel, called Rip, was awarded the Dickin Medal in 1945 after sniffing out dozens of air raid victims during the blitz.
  
  

  

  Rip wearing his medal with Mr King 

  Rip was found homeless and starving after an air raid in 1940. An air raid warden working at Southill Street Air Raid Patrol in Poplar, east London, adopted the dog and Rip began sniffing out people trapped in the rubble.
  
  
  The warden found the dog, which had no official training, was always on duty, never got in the way and was quick to locate casualties. 
  
  
  During the Blitz he helped to find and rescue more than 100 air raid victims. It was partly due to Rip's success that towards the end of the war the authorities decided to train dogs officially to trace casualties.
  
  
  Rip wore the Dickin Medal on his collar for the rest of his life. He died in 1948 and was the first of 12 "supreme animal heroes" to be buried in the PDSA cemetery in Ilford, Essex. His headstone reads: "RIP, D.M., 'We also serve', for the dog whose body lies here played his part in the Battle of Britain."
  
  
• JAKE - Jake, the explosives search dog & PC Robert Crawford (Met Police), were deployed to Tavistock Square, London where casualties needed urgent attention after a bomb explosion on a double-decker bus.
  
  
  Jake immediately began a search of the street leading to the bus. Working through shattered glass and twisted metal, he secured a safe route for an explosives officer to investigate a suspect device on the bus and for paramedics to reach injured passengers. Jake also then secured an area close to the bus to enable a makeshift field hospital to treat casualties.
    
  Jake was later redeployed to search the mile-long route from Russell Square to the bomb-damaged train at Kings Cross and then to search through the wrecked train.
  
  
  Despite significant danger, Jake worked tirelessly and remained undaunted by the work presented to him. His skill, control and unstinting devotion to duty protected members of the public and the emergency services from harm, and his presence proved invaluable throughout this tragic event.                                                                                                         

• DYLAN & CRACKER - Dylan & Cracker were awarded PDSA Gold Medals for displaying outstanding gallantry and devotion to duty while carrying out official duties with their handler, Neil Powell, as part of the Northern Ireland Search & Rescue Dog Association (SARDA).
  
  
  
  In March 1999, Dylan saved the lives of 4 students lost for several hours on the mountains of Mourne, N.I. Despite exceptionally poor weather conditions, Dylan located the group stranded on a ledge 250 feet above ground level. He stayed on duty until the rescue team had lifted everyone to safety.
  
  
  In Nov 1999, Dylan worked in Duzce as part of the UK Fire Service Search & Rescue team and the International Rescue Corps following the earthquake in Turkey.
  
  
  Dylan located two people buried alive in the rubble. Crawling between floors, climbing ladders and spanning dangerous voids, this dog never wavered from his duties.
  
  
  Cracker, Dylan’s brother, was also part of the 1999 Turkish earthquake search team locating bodies trapped in the debris. His ability to locate the deceased gave families the opportunity to pay their last respects to loved ones.
  
  
  Cracker is the only dog in the UK trained to locate bodies in water. His skills have helped locate four people, bringing closure and peace of mind to grieving families.
  
  

• ENDAL - Endal, Canine Partner of Gulf War veteran Allen Parton, was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal in recognition of his remarkable skills, his unique companionship and the unstinting devotion to duty that saved Allen's life in so many ways. Read Endel's full story below... 

Dog of the Millennium

Endal (13 Dec1995 – 13 Mar 2009) was a male Labrador retriever in Britain whose abilities as a service dog and as an ambassador for service dog charitable work have had considerable news media coverage.

Endal was described as "the most decorated dog in the world" (including "Dog of the Millennium" and the PDSA’s Gold Medal for Animal Gallantry & Devotion to Duty, the highest award available to an animal) and the most famous dog in the UK having been filmed by over 340 film crews from around the world, and had a number of world "firsts" as an assistance dog to his credit.

Endal suffered from birth from the lifelong debilitating joint condition osteochondrosis in both of his front legs, which brought his suitability for assistance dog training into question. However, with the help of a specialised diet and controlled exercise, Endel qualified as an assistance dog trained by Canine Partners.

He became the service dog for disabled ex-Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer Allen Parton in the late 1990s. For a considerable time after partnering Endal, he was unable to speak and was limited to basic sign language.

"When I couldn’t talk, he learned sign language – if I touched my head I wanted my hat, if I touched my face it was for the razor. He learned hundreds of commands in signing. Eventually one day, in this very silent world we lived in, I grunted. That was like an electric shock going through him, he was so excited. They said I’d never speak again, but Endal just dragged the speech out of me." Allen Parton (Able Magazine)

Over the years, Endal learned to pull the plug out of the bath before going for help if Allen fell unconscious whilst bathing, and was able to put Allen in the recovery position, hit the emergency button on the telephone and summon help... 

Endal came again to national attention in a 2001 incident when Allen was knocked out of his wheelchair by a passing car. Endal pulled Allen, who was unconscious, into the recovery position, retrieved his mobile phone from beneath the car, fetched a blanket and covered him, barked at nearby dwellings for assistance, and then ran to a nearby hotel to obtain help.

Year	Endel’s Awards
2000	§  2000 Prodog "Dog of the Year" Award §  2000 "Dog of the Millennium" (named by Dogs Today)
2001	§  2001 "Local Hero" Award
2002	§  2001/2 "Assistance Dog of the Year" Award §  2002 awarded the first ever "Lifetime Achievement" Award at the Golden Bone Awards §  2002 first assistance dog to be awarded the UK Kennel Club's "Gold Good Citizen" award, presented at Crufts dog show 2002 §  2002 PDSA Gold Medal (the UK equivalent of the George Cross) awarded to animals who have shown outstanding devotion to their duties in peace time. (As of October 2010 only 18 animals in the UK, all dogs, have been awarded this medal)
2003	§  Gold Blue Peter Badge the highest award for "outstanding bravery and courage". One of only two ever awarded to dogs (the other was the Blue Peter dog "Bonnie" in 1991).
2004	§  2004 "Lifetime Achievement Award" (Wag and Bone Show)
2005	§  2005 Crufts dog show Runner up "Hero Dog of the Year"

Endal's fame led to his taking on the role of an animal ambassador for service dog related training and charities.

In Feb 2010, Allen registered a new charity, named Hounds for Heroes in memory of Endal and to help men and women who have been injured in the UK Armed Forces and Emergency Services

  

From Service Dog to SURFice Dog

Ricochet is an internationally renowned champion surf dog at the center of media attention, who has become an inspirational phenomenon, motivational role model, internet sensation, fundraising marvel, goodwill ambassador, and muse to millions!

This video depicts her journey from birth to 15 months of age, as she goes through her service dog training, which is cut short due to her propensity to chase birds. Her role changed to SURFice dog and she started to fundraise for quadriplegic surfer, Patrick Ivison, who she met the night before this video was filmed.

The intention was for the two of them to surf a wave together on their own surfboards. At one point, when they surfed into shore, Ricochet jumped off her board, and onto Patrick's. It was her decision to surf tandem with him!

Patrick was run over by a car when he was a child, and suffered a spinal cord injury. He has used a wheelchair ever since. Ricochet fundraised to help offset costs of Patrick's physical therapy, a new service dog and raised more than $10,000 for him! And, one of her sponsors, the Rose Foundation awarded a grant that will pay for an additional three years of his therapy!

Once the video went viral, she turned it into a platform to help more people/animals and she's raised over $53,000 in the last year. She promotes kindness, charity, philanthropy, and social responsibility, such as her video about anti-bullying "You're amazing just the way you are!"

For more info on Ricochet, her surfing, her charitable causes, or to make a donation, go to www.SurfDogRicochet.com or visit www.facebook.com/SurfDogRicochet.

Kiwi Saves Master

Lost and alone on the streets of Christchurch as masonry fell around him during the terrifying earthquake, blind office worker Blair McConnell was led to safety by his faithful Guide Dog, Kiwi.

Kiwi was hailed a hero for navigating McConnell to safety amid the carnage and rubble along the banks of the city's Avon River. Despite falling concrete and the screams of panic around him, the 8 year old Guide Dog stayed on task until a passing motorist stopped and gave the shaken pair a ride home.

The earthquake struck at midday 22 Feb 2011 while Blair was dealing with a customer on the phone.

"I dived under the desk. Kiwi was already under it," he said. "I grabbed his harness and he was quite keen to get out. We’d got out of the building and into the middle of Hereford St with hundreds of others when the second big aftershock hit. There was lots of screaming and hysterical people. Kiwi was fine. He knew what he needed to do and did it."

Source: www.nzherald.co.nz (Photo: Andrew Gorrie, 'The Dominion Post')

Hero Dog Roselle

On Sept. 11, 2001, my Guide Dog Roselle, and I were working in the World Trade Centre on 78 floor of Tower One when the airplane crashed into our building.

From the outset, Roselle guided and did her job perfectly, as we went to the stairwell and travelled down 1,463 stairs.

After leaving the building, we were across the street from Tower Two when it collapsed. Despite the dust and chaos, Roselle remained calm and totally focused on her job, as debris fell around us and even hit us. We found a subway entrance, where we could escape the heavy dust.

All that day, Roselle worked flawlessly. She saved my life and truly is the greatest dog hero of all!

American Humane Association ^TM Hero Dog Awards, presented by Cesar Canine Cuisine is proud to offer you the 2011 Grant Prize Winner Guide Dog Roselle.

Hero Dogs of 9/11

Hero Dogs of 9/11 reveals the true stories of working dogs during the Sept 11, 2011 crisis and aftermath. This video pays tribute to 300+ dogs who were part of the rescue and recovery operation.

Kevlar for K9s 

Every US soldier and law enforcement officer sent into combat or active duty wears a Kevlar protective vest because these vests are proven to prolong life expectancy. 

The same rule should apply to dogs. Kevlar vests protect vital organs and can help save lives. A Kevlar vest costs $US600-800.

Kevlar for K9s goal is to make sure that no K9 goes without the protection it needs by raising funds to provide Kevlar vests or other bulletproof protection for working dogs.

Kevlar for K9s is a US based voluntary organisation that provides these life saving vests free of charge to military and law enforcement working dogs.

RSPCA awards Sarbi the Purple Cross

Sarbi the Explosive Detection Dog received RSPCA’s most prestigious animal bravery award, the Purple Cross, at a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial. Sarbi was awarded the Purple Cross by RSPCA Australia National President, Mrs Lynne Bradshaw

“It recognises the deeds of animals that have shown outstanding service to humans, particularly if they’ve shown exceptional courage,” Mrs Bradshaw said. “I think there’s no doubt that Sarbi has shown an incredible resilience and strength that should be recognised.”

Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie AC, DSC, CSM, also attended the ceremony.  

“I am very proud of the professional and dedicated work of our combat engineers and dog handlers, and the vital role they play in keeping our soldiers safe on deployment,” said Lt. General Ken Gillespie. “I am thrilled that the RSPCA has chosen to honour Sarbi, and by extension, all of Army’s working dogs and their handlers with this award.”

Sarbi went missing in Afghanistan in Sept 2008 following Coalition contact with Insurgents. During the engagement, nine Australian soldiers, including Sarbi’s handler, were wounded. Sarbi was returned to Tarin Kot in Oct 2009, after being missing in action for 13 months.

Source: http://www.rspca.org.au/news/rspca-awards-sarbi-the-purple-cross.html

Tara living a better life thanks to her 4-legged guardian angel

Addy, the Labrador, is Victoria's first Seizure Response Dog and barks to alert Tara's parents, Cheri and David O Connell, when the 3yr old has one of up to 80 epileptic seizures a day. Addy's also trained to find Tara, who has autism, if she is lost and to stop disruptive behaviour.

Tara & Addy

Photo: David Caird - Herald Sun

Mrs O'Connell said Tara and Addy were inseparable and slept in the same room.

"If Tara walks away, Addy starts whinging," Mrs O'Connell said."Before at night I had to check on Tara all the time. Now Addy wakes me up. It's just nice to have a night's sleep."

The O'Connells were prepared to move to America to see if Tara could be matched to one of the dogs with the rare ability to detect seizures.

But then they heard a trainer from Bendigo charity Righteous Pups Australia had returned from the US after studying detection training. Theories suggest dogs may detect seizures through changes in brain electrical activity, subtle behavioural changes or picking up a scent humans cannot detect. Addy is the O'Connells hero!

Dog Hero: Terrier Saves Disabled Owner from Fire

When Caroline adopted a Cairn terrier which she named Jellie Jill, she had no idea that this little dog would become such a helper, and even save her from a fire. Debilitated over the past few years by a series of strokes that have left Caroline partially blind and with diminished mobility, she soon found that her Cairn terrier has some very special talents.

Prone to migraines, Caroline found that this attuned Terrier can predict their onset by pulling at her pant leg until she lies down. The dog then sits quietly beside her until the migraine passes. Jellie Jill has also stopped Caroline from walking in front of moving vehicles by pulling on her leash or barking loudly.

One afternoon in March 2004, Caroline returned home, turned on the oven, and then inadvertently fell asleep. The next thing she remembered was the dog nipping at her, licking her face, and bouncing around frantically on the bed. (Caroline's bed is elevated to accommodate her physical disabilities, and the Terrier had never been able to jump that high before.)

As she awoke, Caroline heard popping sounds in the kitchen. The stove had shorted out, and an electrical fire was in progress. One entire wall was on fire. Caroline grabbed her little dog hero, and managed to get downstairs and out of the building.

Firefighters determined that Jellie Jill's quick actions had very likely prevented the fire from gutting the apartment in the old brick building.

Caroline has no doubt about the life-saving role played by her amazing dog: "If Jellie had not woken me that afternoon, I wouldn't be here. She is my hero, my angel and my best friend."

Source: http://www.petcentric.com