VE Day Fundraiser

In honour or VE Day and Rip, the first search and rescue dog of WWII, Andrea Lloyd and her dog Felicity (Fliss) from North Muskham walked around their local villages to raise money for Help for Heroes.

Andrea and Fliss raised a fantastic £150, Andrea said: “We will split the funds raised with the NHS. I normally go to several 1940s events in a normal year, so this year I decided to dress in 1940s style for this walk around the villages. Thank you to everyone who has made a donation.”

Rip, a little dog with an incredible nose, became an unexpected hero as the first unofficial search and rescue dog of WWII. His determination in searching for people buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings convinced people of the benefit in training dogs in search and rescue – ushering in an official training program.

He himself was a victim of the Blitz, after particularly heavy shelling the stray dog was found wandering a bombed out street in London. His home had been destroyed and the whereabouts of his family was unknown.

Befriended by Air Raid Warden M.E. King, Rip went on to  locate and save over 100 human lives between 1940 and 1941, but he also found and rescued countless animals buried in rubble, too.

The PDSA Dickin Medal for wartime animal heroes was created in 1943. To honor Rip’s bravery and devotion to duty, he was awarded this prestigious bronze medal in 1945.

Published May 2020