Davey search and rescue dog death Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, Digi Mart USA News (Lancashire, United Kingdom): An “exceptional” fire service dog that had supported major search and rescue operations has died a few months after retiring. Davey joined Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) in 2017 after being rehomed from the Dogs Trust and trained to become a “highly skilled” urban search and rescue dog.
Over nine years of service, Davey helped locate survivors following earthquakes in Turkey, Morocco and Venezuela. In Venezuela, he was part of a team that searched 500 buildings.
Davey had been unwell for the past two weeks. Despite receiving specialist veterinary care and undergoing a number of tests, the cause of his illness could not be established, LFRS said.
The fire service said Davey would be “deeply missed” by his handler Lindsay Sielski and her family and by everyone at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service who had the privilege of knowing and working with him. He “became a much-loved ambassador” for the Dogs Trust charity and LFRS through school visits, community events and demonstrations.
LFRS said what had started as a second chance for a rescue dog “became an extraordinary career spanning more than nine years.” Working alongside rescue teams from around the world, Davey supported humanitarian efforts “in some of the most difficult conditions imaginable.”
Davey represented the UK in Switzerland during the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group external reclassification, where teams are assessed every five years to make sure they continue to meet the required level. The global network sets internationally recognised standards for search and rescue teams that deploy to major disasters such as earthquakes and building collapses.
The UK canine team was recognised for its high standards in international search dog operations.
Davey was named the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s Animal of the Year for his search and rescue efforts and was recognised at Crufts for his achievements as a working search dog. Behind those achievements, LFRS said, he was also a “much-loved” family member.
Chief fire officer Jon Charters said: “We will always be incredibly proud of him and grateful for his extraordinary service.”
