Submissions

This morning, I completed and submitted my 'Search and Rescue' article to the editor of 'Dogs Today' magazine. Below is an extract from it:-

In March 2024, Vesper, a heroic search and rescue dog, was announced as the winner of ‘The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award’ at Crufts.

Four-year-old Vesper, a Belgian Malinois, was a finalist in the ‘Extraordinary Life of a Working Dog’ category with her owner and handler, Niamh Darcy. Niamh, a handler from ‘Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service’, took a chance on Vesper in 2020 when she was 18 months old. After a 48-hour trial under arduous selection conditions, Vesper performed flawlessly and their bond as a team was solid – and Vesper joined Niamh as her canine search partner.

In her career, she has been deployed to numerous disasters, most recently the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye and Morocco. Alongside her handler, she has been responsible for locating multiple live casualties and reuniting them with their families.

At the award ceremony at Crufts, Paralympian Libby Clegg presented Vesper and Niamh with the award, saying: “I was so honoured and privileged to give Niamh and Vesper this award. Their incredible partnership and the work they do together is so inspiring and lifesaving.”