A hero rescue dog hailed for saving the lives of nine people and another pooch from drowning has been awarded the ultimate canine accolade — an OBE.
Marine rescue dog Whizz, an enormous black and white Newfoundland, spent his life pulling people in peril from the water.
He used his impressive strength and huge webbed paws to keep swimmers along the South Coast safe for ten years – and could rescue a dozen adults in one go.
The 6ft tall gentle giant, who weighed 12 stone, also enriched hundreds of lives as a therapy dog and visited sick animal-lovers in hospital.
Dubbed the world’s best life-dog, brave Whizz, who passed away earlier this month aged 12, became the third canine ever to be crowned with the animals’ OBE yesterday (Tues).
He was posthumously presented with the award, officially known as the PDSA Order of Merit, for outstanding devotion to duty, at a glitzy ceremony on the Isle of Dogs, London.
David, who trained Whizz as a rescuer when he was just one year old, picked up the accolade on his beloved pet’s behalf, along with the pooch’s cousin, Tizz.
He said: “I am bursting with pride for Whizz.
“He was a dog in a million and I am truly heartbroken that he isn’t here to receive his medal.
“Whizz loved working and had an extraordinary talent. Not only was he strong and gentle – he was also so emotionally intuitive.
“This made him the perfect rescue and therapy dog and a beloved companion to the hundreds of sick children and adults he met along the way.”
Over the course of his career, Whizz, a naturally strong swimmer, pulled men, women, children and even other dogs to safety.
He was dedicated to patrolling the Bristol Channel and the River Severn with the Royal Navy Rescue, the Severn Area Rescue Association and Marine Volunteer Service.
On one occasion, in August 2008, the clever canine saved two little girls who floated out to sea on an inflatable dinghy and got swept out by a large wave.
And in 2011, he dragged Toni Curtis to the safety of a lifeboat when she started having an asthma attack in the middle of the water.
Toni, from Bristol, said: “I am a proficient swimmer and love to venture out into the deep water.
“The asthma attack took me by complete surprise and as I was treading water; my airway closing and struggling to breathe, I realised just how isolated I was.
“I was sure that nobody would see me and panic really set in.
“The next thing I knew I heard a muffled voice, telling me to ‘grab the dog’ and before I knew it, I was being pulled to the safety of the lifeboat.
“Whizz had saved me and I will be forever in his debt.”
Marine rescue dog Whizz, an enormous black and white Newfoundland, spent his life pulling people in peril from the water.
As well as his water rescues, Whizz raised thousands of pounds for charity by taking part in Newfoundland Water Rescue Days.
People were sponsored to jump into the sea and were rescued by Whizz and his fellow Newfoundland water rescue dogs.
David set up the charity Newfound Friends in 1989 to raise the profile of the breed and use their skills to raise money for a number of human and animal charities.
Whizz also transformed the lives of sick children and adults through his visits to hospitals, nursing homes and hospices, as well as visiting servicemen injured in the line of duty.
The PDSA Order of Merit recognises animals that display outstanding devotion to their owner or wider society, above and beyond normal companionship.
It represents an exceptional example of the special relationship between animals and humans.
ENDS
