MFRS search and rescue dog wins The Kennel Club Hero Dog 2024 Award

Merseyside Fire service search and rescue dog, Vesper, has been crowned the winner of The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award.

 Vesper’s heroic work saving lives won over the public in a national vote.

Vesper started her life with the name ‘Venom’ and was originally part of West Midlands Police’s breeding programme. Due to her gentle nature, she was deemed unsuitable to be a police dog. Breed Scheme Manager Dave Raymond soon realised that Vesper would be perfect in a different role.

MFRS dog handler Niamh Darcy saw potential in Vesper and took a chance on her in 2020. The 18-month-old Belgian Malinois undertook a 48-hour trial under challenging selection conditions. After a flawless performance, Vesper joined Niamh as her canine search partner.

Over her four years with MFRS, Vesper has been an integral part of the UK International Search and Rescue Team (UK ISAR). She has displayed countless moments of bravery in numerous disaster deployments, such as the horrific earthquakes in Turkey and Morocco where the team worked tirelessly to locate survivors.

Niamh said: “Vesper is a vital asset to our searching capabilities in disastrous conditions. She has mastered the skill to quickly eliminate a variety of smells such as food, decomposition, and wildlife so that we can rely on her to efficiently search for signs of life. She will go through disasters and identify unique aspects of live, breathing casualties.”

She is an incredibly intuitive and calm dog that doesn’t react to stimuluses or environmental factors that most dogs would find quite stressful, so she has the ability to continue working in some of the most arduous, stressful conditions.”

Vesper was one of four finalists shortlisted for the award. Her victory was announced in the Resorts World Arena at the NEC Birmingham on the final day of Crufts dog show by the award’s ambassador, Paralympian Libby Clegg.

Libby said: “I was so honoured and privileged to give Niamh and Vesper this award. Their incredible partnership and the work they do together is so inspiring and lifesaving.

"All of the finalists are so well deserving to be finalists. It's nice to see the different partnerships that humans have with their dogs - it is so special."

Niamh and Vesper were presented with their award and a cheque for £5000 from The Kennel Club Charitable Trust, which they donated to The National Foundation for Retired Service Animals.

On winning the award, Niamh said: “Vesper is my favourite canine partner and I’m very lucky to have her by my side. Thank you to everyone you supported us and helped us achieve this. This award and competition has been so inspiring.

“I hope to never see devastation like Turkey and Morocco again, but Vesper made a real impact out there and I’m very proud to be able to showcase that with this award.

The award is an incredible achievement for not only Niamh and Vesper, but also for MFRS and UK ISAR.

CFO Phil Garrigan, who was at the Crufts event when Vesper received the award, said: "The award truly reflects the tenacity shown by Vesper in her search for lives trapped beneath the rubble.

"They showed incredible strength and resilience, refusing to give up until every possible survivor had been found. A huge congratulations to you both."