£20,000 for fire rescue’s hero canine

Feb 13 2008 by Ben Schofield, Liverpool Daily Post

A HERO canine from Merseyside was given a £20,000 cash boost yesterday.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service’s border collie Jake was given a share of £430,000 handed to the urban search and rescue (USAR) dogs’ unit.

USAR is being expanded by the Government from nine to 20 dogs.

Jake is based in Croxteth, but travels the country helping with rescues like those seen during last summer’s floods.

Jake and his handler Jo Stephens are sent to emergencies where humans could be alive but buried.

They went to the Elysian Fields crane collapse in Liverpool in January 2007, to make sure no one was trapped and were deployed to Birmingham following the 2005 tornado.

Mrs Stephens said the money would be spent on Jake’s vet bills, new kennels, a vehicle and specialist equipment.

She said: “He’s brilliant to work with and is a very competent dog who’s never let me down.”

The rollout of the USAR was announced by fire minister Parmjit Dhanda yesterday.

Mr Dhanda said:“These dogs are real life savers as shown by their heroic efforts in all parts of the world.

“Their skills are crucial to giving the fire service the best possible chance of finding people alive in collapsed buildings.”

Jake has had two years’ training to develop his acute sniffing skills and is kitted out with protective boots and jackets.