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| '''Orca''' is a male ] trained by the UK charity ] as an ]. ] he is one of 12 dogs to be awarded the ],<ref name="PDSA">http://www.pdsa.org.uk/page308.html</ref> the highest award for outstanding bravery and dedication by an ], for remarkable dedication, tenacity and initiative in saving his owners' life in 2003, when he was still a young dog of 18 months age. | |||
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| == Orca == | |||
| ⚫ | On ] 2003, after they had been partnered for two months and Orca was less than 18 months old, Cheryl's wheelchair struck a rock on a footpath, |
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| ⚫ | Orca was born on ] 2001, and was partnered with his disabled handler, Cheryl Alexander on ] 2003. Cheryl is a wheelchair user. Orca can respond to over 150 commands, including loading and unloading a ], operating an ] and ], open doors and cupboards, bring things from the fridge, untie shoelaces, remove gloves, socks, hats, scarves, shoes and jackets. He can select items from shelves in the supermarket, place them in a basket, and then put the items onto the conveyer. He takes an envelope of money into a shop which does not have wheelchair access and returns with a newspaper. Orca can recognise around 20 objects by name, such as book, blanket, glove, phone, mobile, post and pole. Orca knows his left from his right and knows the difference between his left and the handler's left. He can press buttons for lifts, light switches and pedestrian crossings. | ||
| ⚫ | Orca has been honoured for his bravery and ingenuity several times; In 2003 he won the Pro Dogs Silver Medal for life saving and the first ever Wag and Bone Show Woman's Best Friend award{{Fact|date=March 2007}}. In 2005 Orca became one of the first assistance dogs in the country to be paid an allowance as if he were a human assistant. In 2006 he was awarded the ] |
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| == Incident of May 2003== | |||
| ⚫ | On ] 2003, after they had been partnered for two months and Orca was less than 18 months old, Cheryl's powered wheelchair struck a rock on a footpath, pitching her 15 feet (5 metres) down an embankment into a "water-filled ditch", with the full weight of the wheelchair pinning her in the water.<ref name="PDSA" /> Orca remained on guard until directed to find help.<ref name="PDSA" /> He found a man about 3/4 of a mile away,{{fact|October 2007}} but the man mistook him for a stray, and took him by the collar to lead him home. Orca is trained to walk with someone who takes his collar. However, when the man tried to lead him in the wrong direction, he broke away and ran back to Cheryl and the man could not give chase.{{fact|October 2007}} He left again to find help.{{fact|October 2007}} By this time it was raining hard and the water in the ditch was rising, placing Cheryl at risk of both ], or ] (death from exposure and cold).{{fact|October 2007}} Orca found Cheryl's neighbour one and a half miles away, and convinced him to follow.<ref name="PDSA" /> The neighbour, following the dog back to the ditch, called the fire brigade, and Cheryl was rescued and treated in hospital for hypothermia. The rescue services considered that Orca's "remarkable skills and unstinting devotion" saved Cheryl's life.<ref name="PDSA" /> | ||
| ==Awards and recognition== | |||
| ⚫ | Orca has been honoured for his bravery and ingenuity several times; In 2003 he won the Pro Dogs Silver Medal for life saving and the first ever Wag and Bone Show Woman's Best Friend award{{Fact|date=March 2007}}. In 2005 Orca became one of the first assistance dogs in the country to be paid an allowance as if he were a human assistant. In 2006 he was awarded the ], the highest award for a non-military dog and the animal equivalent of the ]. Orca has been on television many times, including '']'', '']'' and '']''. He has been in many magazines and newspapers{{Fact|date=March 2007}} and currently appears in a book ''Hearts, Minds and Paws'' by ] in the chapter on "Canine Superheroes". | ||
| ==Other personality attributes== | |||
| In his spare time, Orca enjoys long walks, rolling in unpleasant things, digging in the sand, and relaxing on the sofa. | In his spare time, Orca enjoys long walks, rolling in unpleasant things, digging in the sand, and relaxing on the sofa. | ||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| <references /> | |||
| {{Unreferenced|date=March 2007}} | |||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Revision as of 12:09, 17 October 2007
Orca is a male golden retriever trained by the UK charity Canine Partners as an assistance dog. As of 2007 he is one of 12 dogs to be awarded the PDSA Gold Medal, the highest award for outstanding bravery and dedication by an assistance dog, for remarkable dedication, tenacity and initiative in saving his owners' life in 2003, when he was still a young dog of 18 months age.
Orca
Orca was born on 13 November 2001, and was partnered with his disabled handler, Cheryl Alexander on 28 March 2003. Cheryl is a wheelchair user. Orca can respond to over 150 commands, including loading and unloading a washing machine, operating an ATM and VCR, open doors and cupboards, bring things from the fridge, untie shoelaces, remove gloves, socks, hats, scarves, shoes and jackets. He can select items from shelves in the supermarket, place them in a basket, and then put the items onto the conveyer. He takes an envelope of money into a shop which does not have wheelchair access and returns with a newspaper. Orca can recognise around 20 objects by name, such as book, blanket, glove, phone, mobile, post and pole. Orca knows his left from his right and knows the difference between his left and the handler's left. He can press buttons for lifts, light switches and pedestrian crossings.
Incident of May 2003
On 19 May 2003, after they had been partnered for two months and Orca was less than 18 months old, Cheryl's powered wheelchair struck a rock on a footpath, pitching her 15 feet (5 metres) down an embankment into a "water-filled ditch", with the full weight of the wheelchair pinning her in the water. Orca remained on guard until directed to find help. He found a man about 3/4 of a mile away, but the man mistook him for a stray, and took him by the collar to lead him home. Orca is trained to walk with someone who takes his collar. However, when the man tried to lead him in the wrong direction, he broke away and ran back to Cheryl and the man could not give chase. He left again to find help. By this time it was raining hard and the water in the ditch was rising, placing Cheryl at risk of both drowning, or hypothermia (death from exposure and cold). Orca found Cheryl's neighbour one and a half miles away, and convinced him to follow. The neighbour, following the dog back to the ditch, called the fire brigade, and Cheryl was rescued and treated in hospital for hypothermia. The rescue services considered that Orca's "remarkable skills and unstinting devotion" saved Cheryl's life.
Awards and recognition
Orca has been honoured for his bravery and ingenuity several times; In 2003 he won the Pro Dogs Silver Medal for life saving and the first ever Wag and Bone Show Woman's Best Friend award. In 2005 Orca became one of the first assistance dogs in the country to be paid an allowance as if he were a human assistant. In 2006 he was awarded the PDSA Gold Medal, the highest award for a non-military dog and the animal equivalent of the George Cross. Orca has been on television many times, including Test Your Pet, Dogs with Jobs and Sunday Style. He has been in many magazines and newspapers and currently appears in a book Hearts, Minds and Paws by Nina Bondarenko in the chapter on "Canine Superheroes".
Other personality attributes
In his spare time, Orca enjoys long walks, rolling in unpleasant things, digging in the sand, and relaxing on the sofa.