International search and rescue dog Bryn, a 15 year old border collie, passed away at the weekend.
Bryn and his handler, retired firefighter Steve Buckley, have travelled the world to help in disaster areas. Their partnership began after Steve, who was also a member of the UK international search and rescue (UKISAR) team, saw search dogs in action for the first time following the Gujarat, India, earthquake in 2001.
When he returned to the UK, Steve put a case together for Cheshire to have a search and rescue dog, which was accepted by the then Chief Fire Officer. An ideal dog, Bryn, was eventually found after a West Midlands lady offered one of a litter to the Service. By the time he was 12 months old, Bryn was loving the intensive training for his role in rescuing living people from disaster areas.
He became UKISAR graded in 2005 which meant he could go out on search and rescue missions with the teams. He has been deployed on operations to India, Sumatra, Japan and Nepal as well as being on the dog and handler assessment team travelling to America, Argentina, Romania, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Saudi Arabia and Australia.
Bryn and Steve have been widely recognised as one of the best dog and handler teams in the country. Throughout their active careers they were also deployed across the UK, assisting with searches at building collapses, gas explosions and missing persons’ cases.
Bryn was injured when he was in Japan, cutting his paw, despite wearing special protection boots, as he was searching through the tsunami debris. Although there was no vet with the team, UKISAR’s medical director was able to super-glue and bandage Bryn’s leg so he could continue to work. The incident made headlines around the world.
Retiring from active service in 2015, Bryn was awarded the PDSA Order of Merit, the animal equivalent of the OBE, in 2017 for his outstanding devotion to duty.
Chief Fire Officer Mark Cashin paid tribute to Bryn: “Bryn was a valued member of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service for 11 years. He was renowned throughout the search and rescue world for his dedication and devotion to duty and to Steve. They had a unique bond and our thoughts go out to Steve and his family who I know are devastated by the loss of Bryn.”
This website uses cookies to improve the experience our website users receive and to track page hits and the like. If you continue to use our website then we are assuming you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
I ❤ Macc Cookie Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login