I've just got home from a couple of very exciting days in London.
Yesterday the PDSA presented Ellie and Jones my two dogs with The Prestigious PDSA Gold Medal...
The PDSA Gold Medal is presented for Bravery and Devotion above and beyond Duty, it is known as the highest award to bestowed on an animal equivalent to the George Cross, so far only 22 (including Ellie and Jones) have had this award bestowed on them, and only 7 of these have been civilian dogs, the others have all been service dogs...
They were bestowed with this honour, for the courage and devotion they showed saving Les's (hubbies) Life back in November 2010, when Les while out walking with them, his blood glucose levels became low, but he had forgotten his hypo kit and when he went to phone me he found he'd also forgotten his mobile phone, so decided to take a short cut home, knowing that the dogs would guide him throw the dark lanes..
Les collapsed at the beginning of the lanes, so the dogs did their best to encourage him through the lanes, with a nudge and licking to get him as far as they could, and out of the lanes, then Ellie stayed with Les, and Jones came home to raise the alarm... Both dogs we've adopted from rescue, and poor Jones had such a bad start to life, this had left him with zero confidence etc and very dependant not just on us for the feeling of support but Ellie as well... So for Jones to come home on his own took him a great deal of courage, and for Ellie herself not quite 1 years old, and only with us for just over 5 months, to stay at Les's side was just pure devotion..
But along side this, they are able to warn us of a pending hypo, even waking us up at night if they sense our blood glucose levels dropping.
The presentation was Held in the Old Hall, Lincoln's Inn in the mist of the Barristers Chambers.. The introductions by Joanna Page, sadly Princess Alexandria who intended to present the medals, had to pull out at the last minute due to illness, so Jan Mcloughlin the Director General of the PDSA stepped in... The presentation was attended by some very prestiges people indeed, Lady Powell to name just one, who met us outside just before when we taken Ellie and Jones outside for a bit of chill out, not only did she make a fuss over them, but asked if she could have a photo taken with us, giving her PA her mobile then hiking the official photographer out for some more photo's to be taken of us together..
If this wasn't exciting enough we were asked if we would appear on This Morning, with 2 other Gold Medal dogs, So a morning in the ITV studio's not only to meeting Eamonn and Ruth, but Madness as well, Eamonn and Ruth really put you at ease, and even took the opportunity to speak to us while the commercial break was on before we left. My son is well chuffed as he had his photo with Sugg's, Les had a real down to earth natter with Suggs. And the band made a quick fuss of the dogs as we were coming out, and they were going to play their new song.
At the hotel when word went around that Ellie and Jones were in London to be presented with a PDSA Gold Medals, we became minor celebrities indeed, there's quite a few mobile phones now containing their photo's..
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