Max (12 August 2007 – 6 April 2022) was an
English Springer Spaniel
The English Springer Spaniel is a breed of gun dog in the Spaniel group traditionally used for flushing and retrieving game. They are descended from the Norfolk or Shropshire Spaniels of the mid-19th century; the breed has diverged into sepa ...
pet dog who in February 2021 became the first ever pet to receive the
PDSA Order of Merit, an award which is considered the animal equivalent of the
OBE
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
and is normally reserved for dogs such as
police dogs
A police dog, also known as a K-9 (phonemic abbreviation of canine), is a dog that is trained to assist police and other law enforcement officers. Their duties may include searching for drugs and explosives, locating missing people, finding ...
or
service dogs
An assistance dog is a dog that receives specialized training to aid an individual with a disability in navigating everyday life. Assistance dogs can be trained by an organization, or by their handler.
Terminology
'Assistance dog' is the inte ...
.
He died on 6 April 2022.
Background
Kerry Irving of
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...
in the United Kingdom was seriously injured in a road traffic accident and while recuperating and suffering from depression, he adopted Max to bring for walks to assist him in his wellbeing.
Kerry credits Max as giving him the will to live again.
Social media
Max became a social media celebrity when his owner created the page ''Max Out in the Lake District'', which attracted a large following and was said to have helped "thousands across the globe" during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
and was subsequently christened ''Max the miracle dog''.
The daily walks around the
Lake District
The Lake District, also known as ''the Lakes'' or ''Lakeland'', is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in Cumbria, North West England. It is famous for its landscape, including its lakes, coast, and mou ...
were streamed live via Facebook;
in the process of these walks, from 2017 to 2022, Max and his owner raised over £450,000 for charity and have attended numerous public events, charity walks and school visits.
PDSA award
On 19 February 2021, the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) awarded Max the Order of Merit,
with the citation:
:"For providing support in recovery and enriching the lives of many others.” This recognised how the dogs had helped their owner and their valuable community activity."
:The director general of the PDSA stated: "Max has provided a source of huge comfort - not only to his owner Kerry, but to thousands of people across the globe who are facing or have gone through hard times. He has become a true ambassador for the positive impact that animals have on mental health and wellbeing, which is more important now than ever."
See also
*
List of individual dogs
The following is a list of individual dogs.
Actors
Advertising
* Alex the dog, Banjo, portrayed Carlos, an Irish Setter-Golden Retriever mix and star of Stroh Brewery Company, Stroh's beer advertising in the 1980s. Also mentioned in the 1 ...
References
External links
Max on the PDSA websiteMax on Facebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Max (English Springer Spaniel)
Individual working dogs
2007 animal births
2022 animal deaths
Individual animals in England
2021 awards in the United Kingdom