Max (12 August 2007 – 6 April 2022) was an

English Springer Spaniel The English Springer is a breed of gun dog in the Spaniel group traditionally used for flushing and retrieving game. It is an affectionate, excitable breed with a typical lifespan of twelve to fourteen years. They are very similar to the W ...

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 on the

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

and is normally reserved for dogs such as Police dogs or Service dogs. He died on 6 April 2022.

Background

Kerry Irving of

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. ...

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, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

and was subsequently christened ''Max the miracle dog''. The daily walks around the Lake district are streamed live via Facebook, in the process of these walks since 2017 Max and his owner have 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."

References

External links

Max on the PDSA website

Max on Facebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Max (English Springer Spaniel) Individual dogs Working dogs 2007 animal births 2022 animal deaths