Max (English Springer Spaniel)

Max (12 August 2007 – 6 April 2022) was[1] an English Springer Spaniel pet dog who in February 2021 became the first ever pet to receive the PDSA Order of Merit, an award which is considered the animal equivalent on the OBE and is normally reserved for dogs such as Police dogs or Service dogs.[2][3] He died on 6 April 2022.[4][5][6]

For other uses, see Max.

Max
SpeciesCanine
BreedEnglish Springer Spaniel
SexMale
Born(2007-08-12)12 August 2007
Died6 April 2022(2022-04-06) (aged 14)
Manesty Woods, Cumbria
Nation fromEngland
OccupationTherapy dog
OwnerKerry Irving
AwardsPDSA Order of Merit

Background

Kerry Irving of Cumbria in the United Kingdom was seriously injured in a road traffic accident and while recuperating and suffering from depression, he adopted Max to bring for walks to assist him in his wellbeing.[7] Kerry credits Max as giving him the will to live again.[8]

Social media

Max became a social media celebrity when his owner created the page Max Out in the Lake District, which attracted a large following and was said to have helped "thousands across the globe" during the COVID-19 pandemic and was subsequently christened Max the miracle dog.[2] The daily walks around the Lake district are streamed live via Facebook,[8] in the process of these walks since 2017 Max and his owner have raised over £450,000 for charity and have attended numerous public events, charity walks and school visits.[3]

PDSA award

On 19 February 2021, the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) awarded Max the Order of Merit,[9] with the citation:

"For providing support in recovery and enriching the lives of many others.” This recognised how the dogs had helped their owner and their valuable community activity."[8]
The director general of the PDSA stated: "Max has provided a source of huge comfort - not only to his owner Kerry, but to thousands of people across the globe who are facing or have gone through hard times. He has become a true ambassador for the positive impact that animals have on mental health and wellbeing, which is more important now than ever."[2][10]

References
  1. "Max Out in the Lake District". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  2. "Max the dog awarded canine equivalent of an OBE after helping 'thousands of people across the globe'". Sky News UK. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  3. "Max the spaniel from Keswick first pet to be awarded animal equivalent of OBE". ITV. 19 February 2021. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  4. "Max the Miracle Dog dies - cumbriacrack.com". Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  5. Twitter https://twitter.com/bbcnwt/status/1511737923447803904. Retrieved 6 April 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. "Max Out in the Lake District". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  7. "Keswick's Max the Miracle Dog gets PDSA Order of Merit". BBC News. 19 February 2021. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  8. "Max the Miracle Dog is first pet to receive 'animal OBE'". The Guardian. 19 February 2021. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  9. "Max - PDSA Order of Merit". PDSA.org. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  10. "Dog who provided virtual therapy awarded animal equivalent of OBE". London Evening Standard. 19 February 2021. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
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