by Ben Holt
GUARD ANIMALS
Dogs have been trained as guard animals by humans for centuries, and whether they are guarding livestock or property, they prove very effective at scaring off intruders, raising the alarm by barking or even attacking to defend their territory. The breed of dog and the training will depend on the required task. If a watchdog is required to bark and warn of an intruder, breeds such as Scottish terriers and miniature schnauzers are excellent. Livestock guardian dogs (not to be confused with herding dogs, such as collies), which can be trained to attack and fend off predators, include Maremma sheepdogs and Spanish mastiffs. Rottweilers and Rhodesian ridgebacks make great general guard animals, while German shepherds are favoured as police dogs. However, there are several other options when it comes to effective guard animals...
• DONKEYS – donkeys have excellent hearing, allowing them to detect when danger is nearby. As territorial animals, they will instinctively defend their domain, kicking out at and chasing off intruders, while their loud braying raises the alarm. They can be trained to protect domestic property and are commonly used by farmers to watch over flocks of sheep, as they will attack dogs and coyotes. Seventy per cent of donkeys can be trained to guard a flock in this way.
• LLAMAS – you might think of llamas as funny, fuzzy-looking creatures, docile, stubborn and with the ability to projectile vomit on demand. But they are actually incredibly alert and inquisitive, and will defend their territory aggressively if they feel it to be under threat. For this reason they are often used as livestock guard animals, but they can also be trained to protect your home. When threatened, they give off a distinctive alarm call. They may also react by chasing, pawing at, or kicking an intruder, or by herding the flock they protect into a tight group and leading them away from danger. They have even been known to attack and kill dogs and coyotes.
• GEESE – geese are fairly territorial animals, and they will attack if they feel their domain is under threat. Their loud honking calls make for an unmistakeable alarm signal and they are most effective as guard animals when kept in flocks.
Did you know…
… that Jacob sheep, a rare piebald, multi-horned breed, can be trained as guard animals to protect livestock? In 2007 The Sun reported that a farmer in Gloucestershire had trained a flock of Jacob sheep to attack burglars.
‘If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.’
James Herriot
ALL IN A DAY’S WORK
Animals have helped humans in the world of work in countless ways throughout history, most notably dogs; with their superior sense of hearing and smell they have particularly proved useful as both search and rescue and assistance animals. Horses and ponies have also been relied on for their strength, dependability and alertness to their surroundings in roles such as police mounts and for haulage in mines, for example. In this chapter there are some incredible stories of instances when such trained animals have heroically gone above and beyond their duties.
Studies have shown how interaction with domesticated animals can have real benefits to people’s health; for example, by helping to calm them and thus lower their blood pressure, or by raising serotonin levels by bringing light-hearted moments to a withdrawn or depressed patient’s day. For this reason, the use of therapy animals (animals trained specifically to bring comfort to the unwell) has increased, and it’s not just the domain of regular household pets such as cats and dogs; there are also miniature horses and monkeys, among others, some of which you will meet in this chapter.
REGAL, OLGA AND UPSTART
Three steadfast police horses set a good example to the people of London when the city was under siege…
For a period during World War Two, when the city was the target of German air raids, police horses were evacuated from London for their own safety. When it was decided they should be brought back, they were a reassuring presence on the streets and for many they symbolised normality – the sight of smart, mounted bobbies performing their rounds helped to bolster the ‘business-as-usual’ attitude that Britons adopted to brazen their way through the war. The animals had to work in difficult conditions, stepping over jagged metal, shards of glass, nails, shrapnel and rubble, which would have covered the streets after air raids, without losing their nerve. Sometimes, when a milk pony or van horse was panicking, perhaps having been unnerved by a sudden sound or unfamiliar smell from a recently bombed site, police would bring their own steeds alongside to soothe them with their composed demeanour.
One police horse honoured for his composure in the face of danger was Regal, whose stable in Muswell Hill, north London, was bombed during air raids. On the first occasion the stables caught fire, yet, in spite of the flames drawing nearer and the billowing smoke and alarming noise all around, he remained calm, then allowed himself to be quietly led to safety, without any fuss, when help came. His composure meant his rescuers could complete their task without hindrance. Three years later, a bomb fell within yards of the same building, this time covering the horse with rubble, and he incurred some injuries from the flying fragments. Once again, he showed no signs of panic, and it was clear later that his lovely temperament was in no way affected by the traumatic events he had lived through.
Another was Olga, a bay mare that was out on patrol in Tooting, south London, when a bomb exploded. A whole row of houses was destroyed and a huge amount of debris was sent flying in all directions, including a plate-glass window that smashed directly in front of the horse. Terrified, she bolted to a safe distance of about 100 yards, but soon regained her composure. Her rider was able to direct her back to the scene so that they could assist in the rescue operation by controlling traffic.
Then there was Upstart. This horse was on patrol duty in Bethnal Green, east London, when a flying bomb exploded just 75 yards away, showering both him and his rider with debris and broken glass. However, Upstart was unperturbed and continued to work calmly with his rider, controlling traffic around the accident site as if nothing had happened.
In April 1947 all three horses were applauded for their bravery and awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal.
Police horses today
In the UK, mounted police are used primarily for ceremonial, police visibility and crowd control purposes, and escorting the military. In a riot situation, a horse can be used to intimidate and disperse crowds, and the added height can allow the mounted policeman to pinpoint and pull out ringleaders from a crowd. They are often seen at football matches and patrolling the streets at night in busy city centres, as well as in other situations where drunken and violent behaviour can be a problem, where they act as a deterrent.
A half or three-quarter bred horse is best suited to police work, combining the spirit of a thoroughbred with the strength and stability of a draught horse. Horses must undergo six months’ extensive training, during which they are taught various skills, including to stand calmly and quietly while a mount answers enquiries from the public, to ride through busy traffic, to move laterally through crowds and to be ridden in the dark. They are also acclimatised to recordings of noises such as military bands, trains and crowds in a controlled environment, before being taken out and exposed to different scenarios. Training is based on a system of encouragement and reward to ensure they become happy, well-rounded, obedient animals.
BEN
A perceptive pony saved his driver from an unseen danger deep underground in a mine…
From the second half of the eighteenth century, ponies were used in mines in Britain for dragging loads of coal from the coalface to the pithead. At the peak of their use in 1913, there were 70,000 ponies underground, until mechanical haulage was introduced on the main underground roads and ponies were confined to the shorter runs. Even as late as 1984, 55 ponies were still in use by the National Coal Board.
The animals were normally stabled underground, fed on a diet of mainly chopped hay and maize, and were only brought to the surfac
e during the colliery’s annual holiday. They would work an eight-hour shift daily, hauling up to 30 tons of coal in tubs on narrow-gauge railways – it was a tough life.
As well as providing assistance and company to the miners underground, there were reported instances of ponies providing early warnings of impending danger. One such example involved a handsome chestnut pony named Ben. His driver was in the habit of sharing his sandwiches with the animal when they broke for lunch. One day, Ben kept his distance at lunchtime and nothing could encourage him to come closer – not even an extra large helping of sandwich. As his driver continued to tuck into his lunch, Ben became increasingly distressed, pawing the ground, shaking his head, then prancing around in a circle and whinnying. Eventually, worried by the normally calm animal’s agitated behaviour, the driver set down his lunch and followed the pony as it backed away. Just moments later the roof above where he had been sitting caved in and his sandwich box was crushed under falling rocks. The driver had his pony to thank for saving his life.
ROSELLE
Michael Hingson was inside the World Trade Center when the terrorist attacks happened in 2001, an event that must have been all the more terrifying and confusing for him because he was blind…
Michael Hingson relied on his guide dog, Roselle, to lead him as he went about his day-to-day activities – whether he was at work, out shopping or navigating public transport, yellow Labrador Roselle would always be at his side, listening carefully to his instructions and vigilantly leading him around obstacles. They were the perfect team and a strong bond of friendship formed between them.
On 11 September 2001, Michael was inside the World Trade Center in New York City when two planes were flown into the twin towers by terrorists. On that day he was more thankful than ever to have Roselle to assist him. In spite of the terrifying noises as the building buckled under the strain of the collision, the smell of smoke, and the shouts and cries of frightened office workers as they tried to get out of the building in the confusion that followed, the brave dog remained calm and attentive to her work. She led Michael down a total of 78 floors, constantly reassuring him along the way, and then out of the building. But her work didn’t end there – she still had to get Michael safely home.
When they were about two blocks away from the building, the first tower began to collapse. Amid the chaos, Roselle stayed calm as they ran for the shelter of the subway. As they re-emerged, the second tower collapsed, covering them with ash. But Roselle still remained composed, and guided Michael to the home of one of his friends, where he was able to wait in safety until the trains were back in action, before travelling home to his worried wife. Many other people were not as fortunate as Michael and were trapped inside when the towers collapsed. Roselle’s concentration and refusal to dawdle proved vitally important.
Since then, Michael has become a motivational speaker, drawing on his experience with Roselle that day when he speaks to audiences about trust and teamwork. On 5 March 2002, Roselle and Salty, another Labrador guide dog that guided his owner safely out of the World Trade Center, were both awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal: ‘For remaining loyally at the side of their blind owners, courageously leading them down more than 70 floors of the World Trade Center and to a place of safety following the terrorist attack on New York on 11 September 2001.’
DYLAN
In 1999, a search and rescue dog saved lives on two separate occasions…
In March 1999, dog handler Neil Powell of the Northern Ireland Search & Rescue Dog Association (SARDA) was called out to the Mourne Mountains, where four Duke of Edinburgh students had been missing for several hours. With him was search and rescue dog Dylan.
The team were up against exceptionally poor weather conditions, but after a long and difficult search Dylan tracked down the frightened students. They were stranded on a ledge 250 feet above the ground. Although his task was complete, he remained patiently and attentively on duty until the rescue team arrived and lifted everyone to safety.
Dylan and handler Neil were praised by Robert Chambers, the teacher in charge of the students, for their efforts: ‘I have a huge admiration for Dylan. It was a full-scale rescue; I didn’t know where the students were. The weather was bad and conditions horrendous.’
It was only a few months later that Dylan was to come up trumps once again. In November 1999, the UK Fire Service Search & Rescue Team (UKFSSRT) and the International Rescue Corps were sent to the city of Düzce in Turkey to help with the rescue operation in the aftermath of the 7. 2 magnitude earthquake that had devastated the area, causing buildings to collapse and claiming 894 lives. Earlier that year another quake had hit Izmit, 62 miles to the west, killing 17,000, so it had been a difficult year for the Turkish emergency services. Dylan, who was assisting the UKFSSRT, worked tirelessly, crawling between floors of buildings, climbing ladders and leaping across dangerous voids in the search for missing people buried in the rubble. He successfully located two people who had been trapped alive.
On 27 June 2006 Dylan and his brother Cracker were awarded a PDSA Gold Medal: ‘For displaying outstanding gallantry and devotion to duty while carrying out official duties.’ Cracker was also part of the 1999 Turkish earthquake search team. His particular talent for locating the deceased meant many families were at least able to pay their last respects to lost loved ones, bringing them closure and peace of mind.
The search is on
When a search team have identified a probable location for a subject, air-scenting dogs such as Dylan can be deployed to that area and used to quickly pinpoint them. The dogs can cover large areas of ground in a short space of time, making the work of search and rescue teams much more efficient, and buying valuable time for any injured missing persons in need of urgent medical care. Once they have found the target, these dogs are trained to return to their handler and bark, before leading their handler back to the injured person. Most breeds of dogs can be trained to track in this way but, because search and rescue dogs have to be tough to take part in difficult and often dangerous operations in a range of conditions, larger, physically strong and agile breeds are most commonly used, such as German shepherds, golden retrievers, Labradors and Belgian Malinois. The dogs also need to have good concentration and not get distracted by any wildlife in the area they are searching.
RUSIK
Most cats have a nose for fish, but Rusik’s exceptional ability to track down illegally poached sturgeon got him a job with the Russian police…
Siamese cat Rusik first became known to the Russian police force when he wandered into one of their checkpoints in the Stavropol region, bordering the Caspian Sea. The staff couldn’t resist feeding the stray kitten with scraps of sturgeon that had been confiscated from smugglers. The Caspian region produces about 95 per cent of the world’s caviar and is plagued by smugglers, who come to the area to capture sturgeon. They then sell the sought-after roe in Moscow and other cities for a huge profit. This is a big concern for the Russian authorities as the intensive smuggling could drive the Caspian sturgeon population to extinction.
Rusik was soon adopted as the checkpoint’s cat and gained a sharp sense of the taste and scent of sturgeon, which is why the police had the idea of using the keen-nosed cat to help them uncover illegal stashes of the valuable fish.
Rusik proved to have a real flair for his new job – in fact, he was so good at alerting the police to stashes of sturgeon hidden in trucks and other vehicles that he took over the responsibilities of the local sniffer dog. However obscure the smugglers’ hiding place was, Rusik was able to sniff it out.
It’s not surprising that Rusik was so good at his job – a cat’s sense of smell is more sensitive than a dog’s. However, cats rarely have successful careers as sniffer animals because it is very difficult to train a cat and get it to cooperate in the same way as a dog.
Rusik’s career came to a sad and sudden end when he was hit by a car driven by smugglers – police didn’t rule out the possibility that it was a deliberate hi
t and run. He would be fondly remembered by the Russian police he had helped on so many occasions.
MAGIC
A miniature horse worked her magic on a withdrawn patient and earned herself the title of hero…
Florida-based Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses is one of the world’s only organisations that breeds and trains beautiful miniature horses for the sole purpose of providing therapy and comfort to a range of people in need, including young cancer patients, elderly hospice residents and abused children, whether in group homes, hospitals or hospice-care facilities.
The tiny horses, which grow no bigger than 38 inches high at the withers, are trained from when they are foals to become accustomed to walking up stairs, riding in elevators, and being around wheelchairs and other hospital equipment. First and foremost, however, they are brought up to quietly and calmly accept love and affection from the people they visit.
Magic, a four-year-old dark mare with a white blaze and distinctive blue eyes, had already brought comfort and relief into many patients’ lives, but she really made a difference to one in particular. An elderly lady named Kathleen Loper had lived in an assisted-living facility for three years and never spoken a word to anyone during her time there. But when owner Jorge Garcia-Bengochea led Magic into the room, the moment she laid eyes on the horse, Kathleen said, ‘Isn’t she beautiful?’ Hearing those first words from Kathleen was an emotional moment for all the staff, who were thrilled that she became communicative with them from that point onward.
