The rescue dog who aims to be a search and rescue dog... Max eyes life in the Coastguard
HEROES come in all shapes and sizes, and the Coastguard could well have found its next recruit in Max, a four-year-old Labrador rescued from an animal sanctuary.
Owner Ryan Gray, who works for HM Coastguard in Bangor, originally brought Max home as a pet from Assisi Animal Sanctuary.
But after discovering his talent for finding things, Max is about to be added to the callout register as the first level three-qualified search and rescue dog with the emergency service here.
Ryan admitted he was only on the lookout for a new family pet when taking Max from the shelter three years ago, but quickly discovered he had a unique talent.
“I was throwing a ball for him to fetch and he picked it up right away,” the 33-year-old said.
“But when the ball disappeared into the trees he went after it and refused to give up until he had found it.
“I tried it again and again and he was always determined to bring it back, no matter where it went.”
After this Ryan had an idea and took his pooch to an obedience trainer.
His four-legged friend’s talent quickly shone through.
“I had zero knowledge of how to train him, but I was advised that I’d need to get Max qualified,” he said.
“I spent four or five days every month for six months taking Max to Wales for training.
“It cost me a lot. And as I’m due to get married shortly I did get the odd frown or two for putting my hand in my pocket, but I thought it would be worth it in the end.
“Max passed the course and is now level three-qualified as a search and rescue dog.”
The next step was to get Max enlisted with the Coastguard, but that turned out to be harder than Ryan expected.
“Unfortunately, Coastguard HQ in Southampton was not in a position to let me use Max officially, but they have agreed to pass him independently after paperwork and assessments,” he said.
“Now it’s a case of sorting out insurance and equipment, and once that’s done he’ll be on the callout list. It’s amazing to think that the timid puppy I brought home has turned out to be so special.
“He was very scared and quiet. He wouldn’t even bark. He had a rough start in life and was quite distressed in the early days, but we’ve managed to convince him it’s OK to bark when he finds something.”
Ryan also revealed Max has al- ready demonstrated his lifesaving pedigree.
“In October last year I was contacted by a family in Bangor who told me a vulnerable loved one had been missing for over 40 hours. It was late at night but they knew about Max and asked me if I could help,” he said. “I explained to them that Max wasn’t an official search and rescue dog, but they were desperate so I brought him along.
“I did the usual scenting with him and eight minutes after starting to look he bolted off to an area that had already been searched. He found a black Honda car and started pawing at the door.
“The lady was slumped in the back seat. I thought we were too late but she was alive.
“The emergency services told me if she’d been there overnight in freezing temperatures she might not have survived. That proved to me that all the expense in getting Max through training was going to be worthwhile.”
Ryan is now hoping to raise funds to complete Max’s insurance requirements and get the safety equipment needed to allow him to start his career.
“I always said I’d never ask for help unless I knew Max was going to make it. But he’s special,” he said.
“And he’s going back to Wales this week for extra urban search and rescue training.”
To find out more, search for Ryan Gray on Facebook or his Facebook fundraiser for K9 Search and Rescue NI.
Ryan is also asking people to support the extending of the law to protect service dogs here at www.change.org/p/protect-police-dogs or by visiting www. finnslaw.com