Endal (13 December 1995 – 13 March 2009) was a male Labrador Retriever in Britain whose abilities as a service dog and as an ambassador for service dog charitable work received worldwide news media coverage. Among other distinctions, Endal was described as "the most decorated dog in the world" (including "Dog of the Millennium" and the PDSA Gold Medal for Animal Gallantry and Devotion to Duty, the highest award available to an animal) and possibly the most famous assistance dog in the UK. He was filmed by over 340 film crews from around the world, and had a number of world "firsts" as an assistance dog to his credit.

Background

Endal

Endal was a

pedigree Pedigree may refer to: Breeding * Pedigree chart, a document to record ancestry, used by genealogists in study of human family lines, and in selective breeding of other animals ** Pedigree, a human genealogy (ancestry chart) ** Pedigree (animal ...

yellow Labrador Retriever. From birth Endal had the lifelong debilitating joint condition

osteochondrosis Osteochondrosis is a family of orthopedic diseases of the joint that occur in children, adolescents and rapidly growing animals, particularly pigs, horses, dogs, and broiler chickens. They are characterized by interruption of the blood supply of a ...

in both of his front legs, - these badges, although issued by a television show, are seen as a significant and notable accolade in the UK. which brought his suitability for assistance dog training into question. However, due to Endal's intelligence and problem-solving abilities he qualified as a fully operational and accredited assistance dog although he was only part trained by the charity Canine Partners for Independence. He became the service dog for

disabled Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...

ex-

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

Chief Petty Officer A chief petty officer (CPO) is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards. Canada "Chief petty officer" refers to two ranks in the Royal Canadian Navy. A chief petty officer 2nd class (CPO2) (''premier maître de deuxi� ...

Allen Parton in the late 1990s. Endal's fame led to his taking on the role of an animal

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

for service dog-related training and charities. On 13 March 2009, age thirteen and days after his last

Crufts Crufts is an international dog show held annually in the United Kingdom, first held in 1891. Organised and hosted by The Kennel Club, it is the largest show of its kind in the world. Crufts is centred on a championship conformation show for do ...

appearance,Chichester Observer
16 March 2009. Endal had to be put down as his age had finally caught up to him. He had had a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

, and his arthritis had become severe over time. Endal is buried at Ilford PDSA Animal Cemetery, which is also the resting place for twelve previous dogs awarded the PDSA

Dickin Medal The PDSA Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 in the United Kingdom by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in World War II. It is a bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried o ...

, predecessor to the gold medal. A yellow Labrador puppy named EJ (Endal Junior) was in training at the time, whom Endal mentored during his final 9 months.

Allen Parton

Endal's owner was Allen Parton. Parton sustained serious

head injuries A head injury is any injury that results in trauma to the skull or brain. The terms ''traumatic brain injury'' and ''head injury'' are often used interchangeably in the medical literature. Because head injuries cover such a broad scope of inju ...

whilst serving with the Royal Navy in the

Gulf A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodie ...

in 1991, including 50%

memory loss Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use o ...

and inability to reliably make new memories for more than around 2 days (for example, not recognising his neighbour of 7 years),

physical disability A physical disability is a limitation on a person's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity or stamina. Other physical disabilities include impairments which limit other facets of daily living, such as respiratory disorders, blindness, epileps ...

(he was a

wheelchair A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries ( paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), cerebr ...

user), speech and word difficulties, inability to perceive materials that are out of his sight, and inability to safely judge speed and distance of traffic. For a considerable time after partnering with Endal, he was unable to speak and was limited to basic

sign language Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with non-manual markers. Sign l ...

. In 2008, commenting on a portrait of Endal, Parton said that one of his greatest fears was that, in 10 years, he would be unable to remember what Endal looked like. In February 2010, Parton registered a new charity, named

Hounds for Heroes Hounds for Heroes is a British charity launched in February 2010 to help train and provide service dogs to wounded British Armed Forces and Emergency Services men and women. Background Hounds for Heroes was founded in 2009 and registered in Feb ...

, in memory of Endal and to help men and women who have been injured in the UK Armed Forces and Emergency Services.

Work as a service dog

Endal was able to respond to over one hundred instructions as well as a very large number ("hundreds") of signed commands. He could retrieve items from supermarket shelves, operate buttons and switches, and load and empty a washing machine. He was able to put a card into a

cash machine An automated teller machine (ATM) or cash machine (in British English) is an electronic telecommunications device that enables customers of financial institutions to perform financial transactions, such as cash withdrawals, deposits, fund ...

, retrieve the card when the process was complete, and return the card to a wallet. :: The above ''Able Magazine'' article continues on: "Over the years, Endal has learned to pull the plug out of the bath before going for help if Parton falls unconscious whilst bathing, and is able to put Parton in the recovery position, hit the emergency button on the telephone and summon help... Endal has learned how to use both chip and PIN ATMs as well as helping out with shopping, opening train doors, operating lifts, unloading the washing machine and more typical doggie skills like getting the paper." Parton states that Endal's ability to comprehend his wishes and needs showed when they first met, and was responsible for helping him recover from the initial deep depression and trauma caused by his disability. Endal came again to national attention in a 2001 incident, when Parton was knocked out of his wheelchair by a passing car outside a hotel. Endal pulled Parton into the

recovery position In first aid, the recovery position (also called semi-prone) is one of a series of variations on a lateral recumbent or three-quarters prone position of the body, often used for unconscious but breathing casualties. An unconscious person, a perso ...

, retrieved his mobile phone from beneath the car, retrieved a blanket from the upturned wheelchair and covered him, alert barked at a nearby hotel for assistance with no result, and then ran to the hotel to obtain help. Endal is also: * The first dog to ride on the

London Eye The London Eye, or the Millennium Wheel, is a cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames in London. It is Europe's tallest cantilevered observation wheel, and is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United ...

, a giant Ferris wheel. * The first dog known to be able to operate an ATM card, including both card insertion and card removal.

Awards

Other recognition

Dogs with Jobs ''Dogs with Jobs'' is a Canadian documentary television series about working dogs and show dogs. Each half-hour episode consists of two to three segments on individual dogs from around the world. The family-friendly series has featured service ...

'', a Canadian TV series and in a book about that series, covered Endal. Endal appeared in the Sky real Lives documentary "The Dog that saved our marriage", transmitted on 12 March 2009. Endal appeared in the ITV documentary "The Secret Life of Dogs" transmitted on British ITV. He also appeared on National Geographic. The Endal awards have been created to honour his loyalty and devotion to duty in the form of a medal, and these are issued at an annual award ceremony held at the London Pet Show. A road in

Clanfield, Hampshire Clanfield is a village and civil parish in the south-east of the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is situated north of Horndean, north of Portsmouth and south of Petersfield. It sits to the west of the main A3 road, just nor ...

, in England has been named "Endal Way" in memory of Endal.

Work as an ambassador for service dog charitable work

As a

trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, is a synonym for anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility to t ...

of the

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

Canine Partners Canine may refer to: Zoology and anatomy * a dog-like Canid animal in the subfamily Caninae ** ''Canis'', a genus including dogs, wolves, coyotes, and jackals ** Dog, the domestic dog * Canine tooth, in mammalian oral anatomy People with the surn ...

, Endal's owner and handler Allen Parton publicised the skilled training which is needed for assistance dogs by using the story of Endal as an example. Parton and Endal were both

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

s of Labrador Rescue South East and Central.Labrador Rescue South East and Central
. According to a description of Endal by Parton at makeyourdogahero.co.uk: : "Another more private role is Endal's work with

autistic The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

and

terminally ill Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and is expected to result in the death of the patient. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer, dementia or advanced he ...

children. Endal has represented the charity Canine Partners, is a patron of Labrador Rescue, an advisor to Dog Theft Action. He has been used to promote many issues to do with

animal welfare Animal welfare is the well-being of non-human animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures such as longevity ...

and has also helped raise funds for many of the service charities such as

SSAFA SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, is a UK charity that provides lifelong support to serving men and women and veterans from the British Armed Forces and their families or dependents. Anyone ...

, the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust,

British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants, as well as all others in ne ...

and

Seafarers UK The Seafarers' Charity (Seafarers UK, formerly King George's Fund for Sailors) is the leading grant-making charity that has been helping people in the maritime community for over 100 years, by providing vital funding to support seafarers in need and ...

." organisation.

Endal book

A paperback book entitled ''Endal'' published by

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...

was released on 9 February 2009 and went straight to Number 1 in the UK Paperback best sellers list.

Endal the Movie

A film of Endal's life story, based around the Endal book, was announced on 1 September 2009.

Other personality attributes

Parton reports that alongside Endal's working life and training, he retained during his life a number of the mischievous traits that Labradors are known for. As examples he cites that Endal would still decide at times to chase squirrels in the park, or might take waste paper out of the rubbish bin to Parton, in order to gain a reward for "picking it up from the floor".

References

{{reflist

External links

Millennium Dog: Endal's home page.

assistance dog Endal helps open new state-of-the-art facility "The West Sussex Canine Hydrotherapy centre"
- an example of Endal's work as an ambassador for assistance dogs and training facilities.
BskyB documentary and introduction to EJ

* ttp://www.ourdogs.co.uk/News/2009/Mar2009/News200309/endal.htm Endal obituary, memories and condolences page at Ourdogs.co.uk
Endal portrait unveiled
- portrait by Nigel Hemming, a renowned UK animal artist.
Tribute to Endal at Lost & Found online pet memorials website
1995 animal births 2009 animal deaths Assistance dogs Individual dogs Animals and humans