Special Celebrity Dog.

Hello Everyone.

This is the second posting in an occasional series of famous (celebrity) dogs of the past and present.

 

Today is a bit of a special celebrity dog day. Only one Wire Haired Fox Terrier has been awarded the Dickin Medal. Being a Wire myself, it is with some pride for my breed sister that I am going to tell you  about "Beauty" today.

Beauty, was a good looking, wire-haired fox terrier. She worked with the civil defence throughout the war. Beauty helped to find 63 animals in bomb ruins and without her help they might otherwise have died.



Beauty and her owner, Bill Barnet.



Beauty led one of the PDSA's Animal Rescue Squads that operated during the Second World War. Beauty's role was to search for other pet animals that had become trapped alongside their owners in the rubble following bombing raids in London. She came to be thought of as the pioneer dog for this kind of work during her wartime service.

The Dickin Medal was instituted to honour the work of animals in time of war. It is awarded to animals that have displayed "conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty" The award is commonly referred to as "the animals' Victoria Cross". The Dickin Medal is made of bronze and bears the initials PDSA and the motto's "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath. It hangs on a ribbon of green, dark brown and pale blue. 



Beauty is buried in the PDSA
cemetery in Ilford Essex.

Other honours have been bestowed on Beauty for her wartime efforts. This wonderful wire terrier also received the Pioneer Medal from the PDSA. An award usually only given to humans.  She was also awarded a silver collar with the inscription "For Services Rendered during WWII."  Beauty is buried in the PDSA cemetery in Ilford Essex.

Today we salute the memory of Beauty. One very special, foxy lady.

Yip Yap.

XX Poppy