Tuesday 9th February, 2010
Sgt Dave Heyhoe with explosives dog Treo in the Afghanistan desert
Treo the dog awarded
animal VC
A
heroic military dog is to be
honoured with the animal
version of the Victoria
Cross.
Treo, an eight-year-old black
Labrador, saved countless lives in
diers and civilians from catastrophe while out on patrol in
Helmand province by sniffing out
explosives which had been wired
together in a daisy chain and hidden in the path.
Princess Alexandra will award
the dog with the Dickin Medal at a
ceremony at the Imperial War
Museum on February 24.
The medal was created by leading veterinary charity the PDSA
and is recognised as the highest
award an animal can receive for
conspicuous gallantry or devotion
to duty while serving in military
conflict.
Treo will be accompanied at
the ceremony by his handler,
Sergeant Dave Heyhoe. The team
have worked together for five
years.
PDSA director general Jan
McLoughlin said: “We look forward to honouring Treo with the
PDSA Dickin Medal.
“The medal is recognised
throughout the world as the animals’ Victoria Cross and is the
highest award any animal can
receive for bravery in the line of
duty. Treo is, without doubt, a worthy recipient.”
The award was introduced by
PDSA founder Maria Dickin in
1943.
Treo will be the 63rd animal to
receive the medal, following in the
footsteps of 26 other dogs, 32
Second World War messenger
pigeons, three horses and one cat.
Afghanistan last year by locating
hidden roadside bombs.
The search dog twice saved sol-
© The Telegraph Group
London 2010
Giant Dog
Alan MacQuattie’s dog
Man ‘operated on his own dog
because vet too expensive’
A man who claimed he could not
afford medical care for his dog has been
charged with illegally operating on the
pet.
Alan MacQuattie, from Barrington, in
the north-eastern state of Rhode Island,
removed a cyst from the leg of his 14year-old yellow labrador-mix .
But professional veterinarians had to
operate again after an infection developed following the first surgery.
E.J. Finocchio, a veterinarian and
president of the Rhode Island Society for
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the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
called the surgery a “heinous crime”.
Court records show that Mr
MacQuattie pleaded no contest last week
to misdemeanour charges of animal cruelty and unauthorized practice of veterinary medicine.
But he told television station WPRI,
which first reported on the surgery, that
he did not think there was anything cruel
about what he had done.
© The Telegraph Group
London 2010
Free sterilizing clinic
Frozen Fruit
Treats
A giant dog breed is any of many dog breeds whose height
and weight put them at the largest end of all dog breeds. There
is no universal height or weight at which a breed is classified
as a giant breed; any very large dogs fall into this category,
although some groups “giant breed” based on a certain height
or weight, such as 100 pounds. Giant breeds grow rapidly, but
take longer to mature into their full adult sizes than smaller
dogs. This was sent by Dharshini Bandara
Lots of Fruit
Fruit Juice
Low-fat Yogurt
Honey
Cinnamon
Place any fruit you favor
in a blender. Some great
ones are strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelons,
apples, peaches, or
bananas. Add some
unsweetened juice (your
choice - pineapple is good).
Add a little low-fat yogurt
for thickening, honey for
sweetening, and 1/2 tsp.
cinnamon. Puree until
well blended and smooth.
Freeze in little cups or ice
cube trays and serve as
“popsicles”.
The Animal Welfare and Protection
Association will conduct a free sterilizing/
neutering clinic at 182, Chapel Lane (behind
Baptist Church), Gonawala, Kelaniya on
Saturday, 13th February 2010 from 7.30am to
12.00 noon on the first come first served
basis.
Dogs and cats (male and female) 4-6
months and over can be neutered and sterilized.
The animals must not be given any food
and water for 12 hours prior to the operation
and must not be sick.
Cats should be brought in a box or cage or
used rice bag and dogs on a chain.
AWPA conducts these programme when
funds are available and the aim of holding
these clinics is to prevent unwanted puppies
and kittens and thereby eradicate rabies.
For more details
– 2306196/0776565181
during office hours
or 2324152 (residence
– after 7 p.m.)
Iromi Salgado
Committee
member
AWPA
Postmen bite back
Postmen Frank James makes a
delivery to a farm in the
Staffordshire area
Postmen are being armed with a
new weapon which could hand them
a crucial advantage in their perennial battle with dogs.
Royal Mail delivery staff are
being equipped with a device which
releases compressed air and makes
a hissing sound designed to scare
off dogs.
It comes as new figures reveal
the number of postal workers
attacked by dogs while on their
rounds increased by almost 20 per
cent last year.
In 2008/09, there were 4,810
attacks on staff – a rate of 92 per
week – compared with 4,067 the previous year.
The statistics have been released
by the Royal Mail along with copies
of guidance given to staff on how to
protect themselves.
This includes the instruction:
“Never enter premises where a dog
is loose. Even the most friendly dog
is likely to view your approach as a
possible threat.”
When postmen do find themselves confronted by a dog, they are
told to position their bag between
themselves and the animal to fend
off any attack.
They are told to back away slowly, but not to turn and run, as this
could trigger a chase response in
the animal. Staff are also urged not
to stare at the dog.
Many postal staff already carry
peppermint spray, which releases a
cloud of gas intended to distract
and disorientate dogs for up to 20
minutes.
It can be requested by any concerned employee, but postal workers have said it is difficult to use
when being attacked.
The new spray works in a different way. A Royal Mail spokesman
said: “The device releases air at
speed, creating a hissing noise
which is designed to pull the dog up
and stop its progress.”
It is being trialled by staff in
south-east England and could be
rolled out nationwide if it produces
good results.
The spokesman added: “This is
something we take extremely seriously, and we give training to staff
about ways to deal with dogs.”
The Royal Mail is at a loss to
explain the recent increase in dog
attacks, but it comes at a time when
animal welfare organisations have
warned about the rise in the numbers of “weapon dogs”, or aggressive animals used as status symbols.
Each attack on a postal worker
is logged and owners of aggressive
animals are contacted by Royal
Mail. Injured staff are eligible for
compensation under a Dog Attacks
Compensation Scheme for any overtime or shift allowances which they
miss as a result.
Some staff have been seriously
wounded. In 2008, Keith Davies had
to undergo a six-hour operation
after being attacked by two rottweilers while delivering post in
Cambridge.
A spokeswoman for the
Communication Workers Union,
said: “It is one of the biggest health
and safety issues that delivery staff
face. We’re well aware that it got
worse last year.
“It can be very traumatising for
workers not knowing what is
behind the garden gate or the letter
box.”
The union has launched the
“Bite-Back” Campaign, calling for
changes in the law on dangerous
dogs to give postal workers greater
protection while on private property.
© The Telegraph Group
London 2010