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Search, rescue group's most decorated dog
Wpg Free Press
In photos, she stared straight at the camera, her copper eyes bright with intelligence, her broad chest a physical testament to her steel will and great strength.
She was a poster dog for the Manitoba Search and Rescue Association.
And Monday, her death devastated her main handler and primary partner, MSAR's search commander, George Leonard. He reacted by posting a press release on the passing of the canine icon, including a poignant note about how she died, surrounded by people who loved her.
Stinky, a Rottweiler, was the volunteer association's most famous and most decorated team member.
She died from natural causes at age 11.
In the announcement, Leonard called Stinky an elite K-9 service dog, but it was clear she was much more than mere muscle on legs.
"She will be greatly missed but her legacy will reach many more thousands of people," Leonard said.
Perhaps that is because Stinky, more than most of her kind, was a real people dog.
Her record of service included being the lead dog for the search and rescue association's post-traumatic stress disorder program.
It currently provides free service dogs to 35 Canadian Forces combat veterans, the announcement said.
Stinky's work with traumatized vets led to her induction in the Purina Hall of Animal Fame in 2011. Her presence was credited with directly saving the lives of seven vets.
Over the years, Stinky worked with countless urban and remote First Nations youth, teaching them with her handler how to behave safely around dogs, through the No-Bite Winnipeg Foundation sponsored program.
The techniques and training perfected on Stinky gave the volunteer association the capacity to donate more than 325 service dogs for free to the public, a legacy estimated to be worth $6.5 million, according Leonard.
She was described as a dog with extraordinary compassion. Her odd name came from an unfortunate encounter she had with two skunks when she was a puppy.
Also: Purina news release
Video
ME
Wpg Free Press
In photos, she stared straight at the camera, her copper eyes bright with intelligence, her broad chest a physical testament to her steel will and great strength.
She was a poster dog for the Manitoba Search and Rescue Association.
And Monday, her death devastated her main handler and primary partner, MSAR's search commander, George Leonard. He reacted by posting a press release on the passing of the canine icon, including a poignant note about how she died, surrounded by people who loved her.
Stinky, a Rottweiler, was the volunteer association's most famous and most decorated team member.
She died from natural causes at age 11.
In the announcement, Leonard called Stinky an elite K-9 service dog, but it was clear she was much more than mere muscle on legs.
"She will be greatly missed but her legacy will reach many more thousands of people," Leonard said.
Perhaps that is because Stinky, more than most of her kind, was a real people dog.
Her record of service included being the lead dog for the search and rescue association's post-traumatic stress disorder program.
It currently provides free service dogs to 35 Canadian Forces combat veterans, the announcement said.
Stinky's work with traumatized vets led to her induction in the Purina Hall of Animal Fame in 2011. Her presence was credited with directly saving the lives of seven vets.
Over the years, Stinky worked with countless urban and remote First Nations youth, teaching them with her handler how to behave safely around dogs, through the No-Bite Winnipeg Foundation sponsored program.
The techniques and training perfected on Stinky gave the volunteer association the capacity to donate more than 325 service dogs for free to the public, a legacy estimated to be worth $6.5 million, according Leonard.
She was described as a dog with extraordinary compassion. Her odd name came from an unfortunate encounter she had with two skunks when she was a puppy.
Also: Purina news release
Video
ME
