Endal

Endal

Endal, wearing his PDSA Gold Medal
Species Dog
Breed Labrador retriever
Sex Male
Born 13 December 1995(1995-12-13)
Died 13 March 2009(2009-03-13) (aged 13)
Resting place Ilford PDSA Animal Cemetery,
Nation from British
Occupation Service dog
Successor Endal Junior
Owner Allen Parton
Sandra Parton

Endal (13 December 1995 – 13 March 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.

Among other distinctions, Endal had been described as "the most decorated dog in the world" (including "Dog of the Millennium" and the PDSA’s Gold Medal for Animal Gallantry and Devotion to Duty, the highest award available to an animal)[1] and the most famous dog in the UK,[2] had been filmed by over 340 film crews from around the world,[3][4][5] and had a number of world "firsts" as an assistance dog to his credit.

Contents

Background

Endal

Endal was a pedigree yellow Labrador retriever. Unusually, Endal suffered from birth from the lifelong debilitating joint condition osteochondrosis in both of his front legs,[6][7] which brought his suitability for assistance dog training into question. However, with the help of a specialized diet and controlled exercise, Endal qualified as a fully operational assistance dog. He became the service dog for disabled ex-Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer Allen Parton in the late 1990s.[8][9]

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

On the 13 March 2009, aged thirteen and days after his last Crufts appearance,[10] Endal had to be put down[11] as finally his age had caught up to him. He had suffered a stroke, and his arthritis had become severe over time.[10] He was buried at Ilford PDSA Animal Cemetery, which is also the resting place for twelve previous dogs awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal, predecessor to the Gold Medal.[12] A yellow Labrador puppy named EJ (Endal Junior) was in training at the time, whom Endal mentored during his final 9 months.

Allen Parton

Endal's owner was Allen Parton. Parton suffered serious head injuries from the Gulf War, including 50% memory loss and inability to reliably make new memories for more than around 2 days (for example, not recognising his neighbour of 7 years duration), physical disability (he is a wheelchair user), speech and word difficulties, inability to perceive items that cannot be seen, and inability to safely judge speed and distance of traffic.[13] For a considerable time after partnering Endal, he was unable to speak and was limited to basic sign language. In 2008, commenting on a portrait of Endal, Parton said that one of his greatest fears was that, in 10 years, he would be unable to remember what Endal looked like.[14] In February 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.[15]

Work as a service dog

Endal was able to respond to over one hundred instructions[16] as well as a very large number ("hundreds") of signed commands.[17] He could retrieve items from supermarket shelves,[18] operate buttons and switches, and load and empty a washing machine.[19] He was able to put a card into a cash machine, retrieve the card when the process was complete, and return the card to a wallet.[20][21]

"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." Able Magazine.[17]

The above Able Magazine article continues by noting that "Over the years, Endal has learned to pull the plug out of the bath before going for help if Allen falls unconscious whilst bathing, and is able to put Allen in the recovery position, hit the emergency button on the telephone and summon help ... Endal has learned how to use cash and chip and pin machines, as well as helping out with the shopping, opening train doors, operating lifts, unloading the washing machine and more typical doggie skills like getting the paper."[17]

Parton states that Endal's ability to comprehend his wishes and needs showed when they first met, and was responsible for helping him recover from the initial deep depression and trauma caused by his disability.[1]

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.[22]

Endal is also:

  • The first dog to ride on the London Eye.[23]
  • The first dog known to be able to operate a Chip and PIN ATM card, including both card insertion and card removal.[24]

Awards

Year Awards[1]
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,[7][17] 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

Work as an ambassador for service dog charitable work

As a trustee of the charity Canine Partners, Endal's owner/handler Allen Parton,[25] publicised the skilled training which is needed for assistance dogs by using the story of Endal as an example. Allen and Endal were both patrons of Labrador Rescue South East and Central.[26]

According to a description of Endal by Allen at makeyourdogahero.co.uk:

"Another more private role is Endal's work with autistic and terminally ill children. Endal has represented the charity Canine Partners, is a patron of Labrador Rescue, an advisor to Dog Theft Action. He has been used to promote many issues to do with animal welfare and has also helped raise funds for many of the service charities such as SSAFA, the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust, British Legion and Seafarers UK."[27] organisation

Endal book

A paperback book entitled Endal published by Harper Collins was released on 9 February 2009 and went straight to Number 5 in the UK Paperback best sellers list.

Endal the Movie

Formally announced on 1 September 2009 in the Daily Telegraph,[28] Portsmouth News [29] news papers and shown on the BBC [30] Endal's life story, based around the Endal book, is now being made into a £5 million movie

Media recognition

As reported by 'Able' magazine in 2007, Society's Dogs With Jobs TV series and in the book about the series.[31]

Other personality attributes

Allen reports that alongside Endal's working life and training, he retained during his life a number of the mischievous traits that labradors are known for. As examples he cites that Endal would still decide at times to chase squirrels in the park, or might take waste paper out of the rubbish bin to Allen, in order to gain a reward for "picking it up from the floor".[32]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Endal, December 2006". Illinois Springer Spaniel Rescue. http://illinoisspringerrescue2.pulse.net/SITETWO/ENDAL.html. Retrieved 2007-06-20. "The trophy cabinet at their family home in Hampshire would be the envy of most football club managers and houses an impressive list of awards including Dog of the Millennium and the PDSA’s Gold Medal for Animal Gallantry and Devotion to Duty. It is true to say that Endal, who can even count the Queen as one of his devotees, is probably the most decorated dog in the world." 
  2. ^ Endal visits Harrods UK
  3. ^ Sussex Express, 16 March 2009
  4. ^ Our Dogs Newspaper - News, breeders, showdogs, dog breeds, pedigree show dogs, canine clubs, web design, website uk
  5. ^ About Us
  6. ^ K9 Perspective Magazine (2007). "Canine Partner Endal opens Sussex Canine Rehabilitation Centre". issue 33, p. 5. http://www.k9magazinefree.com/k9_perspective/iss33p5.shtml. Retrieved 2007-09-19. 
  7. ^ a b "Sussex Canine Center and other topics". Labrador Rescue South East and Central. Archived from the original on 2007-02-10. http://web.archive.org/web/20070210122105/http://www.lrsec.org.uk/Endal/endalhp.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-20.  - these badges, although issued by a television show, are seen as a significant and notable accolade in the UK.
  8. ^ Sally Pook (14 August 2003). "After 100 years labrador is top dog". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/08/14/ndog14.xml. Retrieved 2007-09-19. "Confirming its reputation as the archetypal man's best friend, a labrador named Endal was voted dog of the millennium by Dogs Today magazine for helping Allen Parton after the Royal Navy sailor was injured during the first Gulf war. Endal can carry out 100 tasks to order, including withdrawing money from a cash machine and switching off lights." 
  9. ^ Disabled Persons Railcard (7 April 2007). "Rail Travel is a Piece of Cake". The Disabled Person's Railcard website. http://www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/features?action=view&newsID=2. "Allen is a regular traveller on South West Trains and Endal ably assists from the word go in his journeys by pushing the button to get on the train. He makes regular trips to London and Leeds for the charity, Canine Partners, and has recently been travelling a lot whilst making a film about his life. The pair then settle back in air conditioned comfort and proceed to make friends up the length and breadth of the country on their travels, which are considerable since the pair's celebrity begun to grow a few years ago." 
  10. ^ a b Chichester Observer 16 March 2009.
  11. ^ "Owner's tribute to 'wonder-dog'". BBC News. 16 March 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/7945664.stm. Retrieved 3 January 2010. 
  12. ^ Marcus, Dawn (2009-09-02). "What’s Endal Junior Doing?". Fit as Fido. http://www.fitasfido.com/2009/09/02/whats-endal-junior-doing/. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
  13. ^ "'Endal' - The Millennium Dog". March 2001. http://pedigreedogs.co.uk/k9bytes/endal_millennium_dog.htm. 
  14. ^ "Labrador Rescue's Patron Immortalised". http://www.loveyourlabrador.co.uk/endal_news_portrait.html. Retrieved 12 December 2010. 
  15. ^ "Hounds for Heroes". http://www.houndsforheroes.com. 
  16. ^ "Canine Partners". South West Trains e-motion magazine. September/October 2004. http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/SWTrains/_Aboutus/Corporate+information/_CaninePartners.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-20. 
  17. ^ a b c d Able Magazine (2007). "An Unstoppable Partnership". http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:OuYkMv_5WAYJ:www.ablemagazine.com/_colony/module/Issues/type/article/ableIssueArticleID/215&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6. 
  18. ^ BBC News (13 November 2002). "Owner saved by wonder-dog". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2459283.stm. Retrieved 2007-09-21. 
  19. ^ Allen Parton (March 2001). "Endal: The Millennium Dog". pedigreedogs.co.uk. http://pedigreedogs.co.uk/k9bytes/endal_millennium_dog.htm. 
  20. ^ Rosie Murray-West (15 February 2006). "Labrador has got the technology licked". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/15/nchip115.xml. 
  21. ^ "I thought this was Bark-lays bank". Daily Mail (London). 1 March 2007. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=439421&in_page_id=1770. Retrieved 2007-06-20. 
  22. ^ "Hero dog to the rescue". Petersfield Herald. 4 June 2001. http://www.petersfield-herald-today.co.uk/today/options/news/newsdetail.cfm?id=27389&hididarch=archive. Retrieved 2007-09-21. "The pair have appeared on television all over the country demonstrating how specially trained dogs can help profoundly disabled people. This week, as they recovered from their ordeal at the Steep home of Canine Partners for Independence, the group who trained Endal, Allen praised his four legged companion: “We’ve given so many demonstrations on how Endal should go into action if I fall out of my wheelchair but last Thursday Endal did it for real.” …Endal was voted Dog of the Millennium by Dogs Today readers and Beta Pet Foods, Dog of the Year by the charities Pro Dogs and Pets As Therapy, and was the first ever winner of the Golden Bonio Award." 
  23. ^ K9 Perspective Magazine (2006). "TV crew making film of partners' year". Issue 27, p. 10. http://www.k9magazinefree.com/k9_perspective/iss27p10.shtml. "As the filming of the Endal movie now proceeds apace, significant parts of the filming will involve Endal visiting past milestones such as when he was the first ever dog to fly on the British Airways London Eye." 
  24. ^ "Endal, December 2006". Illinois Springer Spaniel Rescue. http://illinoisspringerrescue2.pulse.net/SITETWO/ENDAL.html. Retrieved 2007-09-06. "Most recently Endal, as observed by some of the biggest national newspapers in 2006, has learned how to put the Chip and Pin card into the machine and remove it after the transaction which Allen is proud to reveal makes him the first dog in the world to achieve this remarkable feat." 
  25. ^ "History of Canine Partners: Opening Doors to Independence". Canine Partners UK, founded in 1988. http://www.caninepartners.co.uk:80/about_us/history.htm. 
  26. ^ Labrador Rescue South East and Central.
  27. ^ Firehouse Dog (film) website (2007). "Endal, Yellow Labrador 11 years old". makeyourdogahero.co.uk. http://www.makeyourdogahero.co.uk/FD_image_results.php?region=2. 
  28. ^ Cockcroft, Lucy (2 September 2009). "Story of 'hero' Gulf War dog to be made into a film". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6124094/Story-of-hero-Gulf-War-dog-to-be-made-into-a-film.html. 
  29. ^ http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/people/Hero-dog-has-his-day.5604683.jp
  30. ^ "Hero dog's tale to become a film". BBC News. 2 September 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/8232819.stm. 
  31. ^ <Kim Kachanoff and Merrily Weisbord |publisher= Simon & Schuster Atria imprint, 2000. ASIN 0671047353. ISBN 0-67104-735-3, ISBN 978-0671047351 |quote= }}
  32. ^ Endal

External links