A Greek police dog that burnt his paws during the search for tragic health guru Michael Mosley is set to get new protective gear, a charity has said.
Scar was sent from the island of Symi, where teams were searching for missing Mr Mosley, 67, back to Athens after burnt its paws on rocks during searing temperatures. Upsetting video showed the dog limping back from the hillside where it had been looking for the doctor, whose body was later found just a few hundreds metres from safety having succumbed to the heat.
But now, the UK-based National Foundation for Retired Service Animals has confirmed that it is to send Police Dog Scar and 13 of his canine colleagues protective equipment to shield them during the scorching heat. The foundation - which supports retired dogs and horses from the police, fire, prison and border force services - released the news on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.
The search was in the searing heat (AFP via Getty Images)They admitted it wasn't usually their remit, but they felt spurred into action after seeing video of the poor dog posted by a BBC journalist. They teamed up with company Ruffwear UK and were also sent donations for the paw protectors from kind members of the public.
They said on X: "Update regarding PD Scar who was part of the tragic search for Dr. Mosley, and was seen working in extreme heat without boots. We have some fabulous news, but first a bit of a back story. Before we continue - we have to understand that different countries have different ways of doing things, and we must respect that. It is not our place to comment. So let's stay positive and kind. Please.
Dog who 'always melts hearts' with his smile hopes to find a loving family
Michael Mosley with his wife Clare"PD Scar works for the Greek police as a GP dog who is also trained to search for people. He is an amazing dog and his handler reveres and adores him. Equipment can be hard to come by and we have discovered that boots are not provided as part of standard equipment, again - not for us to judge.
"We have discovered that Scar works alongside 13 other police dogs in the same position. So, we got to work and made contact with the company who supplies protective equipment for dogs. We are absolutely delighted to let you know that @RuffwearUK have immediately agreed to help.
"We are in the process of getting a list of breeds, paw measurements, and chest sizes as once these have been passed on, each dog will now be provided with boots and a cooling coat as a gift from this amazing company. We are sure you will agree this is an incredibly kind thing to do, and we are beyond grateful to them for their extraordinary generosity."
And they added: "The money you have kindly sent us in Scar's name will be used to buy a large box of toys and extra treats for Scar and his friends, we hope that is acceptable to you all, as your kindness has been the catalyst in all this. Thank you to @RuffwearUK for leaping forward and helping us to help others. What a fantastic thing to do and shows the importance of working together.
"We'll keep you updated, but we think that out of the dreadful tragedy that has unfolded in Greece, something really good has happened, and for that, thank you."
Author Dr Mosley vanished during a hike on the Greek island of Symi, where he was holidaying with his wife Clare. He left St Nikolas beach to walk to Symi Town, approximately two miles away, but after four days of searching, his body was found on a rocky slope above Agia Marina on June 9. It appears he took a wrong turn and succumbed to heat exhaustion.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
