PDSA Gold Medal | |
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The PDSA Gold Medal |
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Awarded for | For animal gallantry and devotion to duty |
Presented by | People's Dispensary for Sick Animals |
Country | United Kingdom |
First awarded | 2002 |
Official website | PDSA Gold Medal |
The PDSA Gold Medal is an animal bravery award that acknowledges the bravery and devotion to duty of animals. It was created by the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) in 2001, and is now recognised as the animal equivalent of the George Cross.[1][2][3] An animal can be awarded the PDSA Gold Medal if it assists in saving human or animal life when its own life is in danger or through exceptional devotion to duty. The medal can also be awarded to animals in public service, such as police or rescue dogs, if the animal dies or suffers serious injury while carrying out its official duties in the face of armed and violent opposition.[4]
The first ceremony, in November 2002, saw the Gold Medal awarded to three dogs, including Endal, an assistance dog whose actions helped to save the life of his disabled owner.[5] The most recent ceremony was held in July 2010, honouring three dogs, Anya, Frodo and Oi, the latter being awarded posthumously. As of October 2010[update], the PDSA Gold Medal has been awarded 18 times. All recipients to date have been dogs, and all have been British except for Bamse who was Norwegian,[6] and George, who was from New Zealand.[7]
Date of award |
Recipient | Notes | Date of incident |
Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
November 2002* | Bulla | A police dog who was killed in 1990 after being stabbed while apprehending a man brandishing a knife. | May 1990 | [8] |
November 2002 | Metpol Delta Monty | Otherwise known as Monty, a police dog, who overpowered a man wielding a knife despite being stabbed several times. | February 2001 | [8] |
November 2002 | Endal | A Labrador Retriever service dog who pulled his disabled owner into the recovery position after he was struck unconscious, then covered him with a blanket. He also retrieved his mobile phone and pushed it against his face. Endal only left his owner's side to fetch help once he had regained consciousness. | May 2001 | [5] |
April 2006 | Orca | A Golden Retriever assistance dog who fetched help when his wheelchair-using owner fell into a ditch and was pinned face-down next to the water under her motorised chair. Although the first person he encountered believed he was lost and tried to lead him away, he broke free from his collar and eventually led his owner's neighbour to the scene of the accident. | May 2003 | [2] |
April 2006 | Blue | A German Shepherd police dog, who despite being stabbed while tracking a violent suspect, followed the man to his hideout and assisted in his disarming and arrest. | March 2005 | [2] |
April 2006 | Zoltan | A police dog who was stabbed while attempting to disarm a man who had been threatening members of the public and the police with a knife. | April 2005 | [2] |
June 2006 | Dylan & Cracker |
A pair of search-and-rescue dogs from Northern Ireland, the two dogs received their award for their search-and-rescue work including their "exceptionally courageous work" in Turkey following the 1999 İzmit earthquake. | 1999 | [6][9] |
July 2006* | Bamse | A St. Bernard who was a mascot to the Royal Norwegian Navy minesweeper, Thorodd, in the Second World War, he knocked a knifeman into the sea, and later saved a crew member from drowning. | 1941–1942 | [10] |
July 2007 | Vinnie, Billy & Jake |
Vinnie, Billy and Jake, all sniffer dogs, were honoured as representatives of the 14 police dogs who undertook "life saving work" during the 7 July 2005 London bombings. | July 2005 | [1][11] |
December 2007 | Ghillie | An English Springer Spaniel who fetched assistance when his owner's mother collapsed while walking him. | December 2007 | [12] |
February 2009* | George | A Jack Russell Terrier who was killed while shielding a group of children from a pair of attacking Pit Bulls. | April 2007 | [7] |
July 2009 | Bosnich | A pet black Labrador Retriever that led rescuers to his owner's 73-year-old father who had gone missing on the Cumbrian Fells. | August 2006 | [3][13] |
July 2010 | Anya | A police dog who suffered stab wounds to the chest while protecting her handler. | January 2008 | [14][15] |
July 2010 | Frodo | A five-year-old Beagle who woke his owner and led the family to safety when smoke detectors failed to go off during a house fire. | June 2008 | [14][15] |
July 2010* | Oi | A Staffordshire Bull Terrier who saved her owners' lives by fighting off a gang of four machete-wielding assailants. Oi died from cancer before the award was made. | July 2008 | [14][16] |
* | Awarded posthumously |