Incredible springer spaniel awarded medal in recognition of his outstanding work in searching for bodies underwater
A springer search and recovery dog, who specialised in searching for the bodies of missing people underwater, has been awarded a prestigious medal – equivalent to the OBE – posthumously.
Thanks to Barra’s incredible work, many families have been reunited with the bodies of their loved ones and have been able to lay them to rest.
Barra, who sadly died earlier this year, aged 14, became the 43rd recipient of the PDSA Order of Merit, the equivalent of the animals’ OBE.
Barra’s owner, Iain Marshall said: “I am absolutely over the moon that Barra has received the PDSA Order of Merit posthumously.
“We never did any of this for recognition in the form of awards or medals, we did it to help families who needed us but none the less, we are delighted to see Barra’s commitment to search and recovery being recognised by PDSA in this way.
“Barra was an incredible search and rescue dog but also a loving and important member of our family – we had an incredible bond and I miss him every day.”
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