Monday 10 December 2012

OUGD405 - Secondary Research: Famous labradors

Famous Labrador Retrievers are not only known in movies and books, there are many life-size Labrador Retrievers who have made a mark in the world of men and left their paw prints in the sands of time.

Endel is a multi-awarded yellow Labrador retriever. He served as an assistance dog for an ex-Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer, Allen Parton, who was wheelchair-bound. In 2001, Allen was hit by a car and knocked out of his wheelchair but Endel pulled him to safety and kept him warm with a blanket. The lab also retrieved Allen’s cell phone and hurried to a nearby hotel to get someone to help Allen. For his bravery and intelligence, Endel was awarded the Blue Peter Badge and the PDSA Gold Medal for Bravery and Dedication to Duty. The readers of Dogs Today Magazinen also named him “Dog of the Millenium. As Allen’s assistance dog, Endel can do countless tasks and respond to hundreds of instructions. A few of his exploits include removing a card from the ATM machine and returning it to Allen’s wallet and loading and emptying the washing machine. Endel is also known for being the first dog to ride on the London Eye.

Sadie received the Dickin Medal for saving the lives of dozens of soldiers in Afghanistan. Her keen sense of smell enabled her to detect a bomb before it was detonated.

Jake earned his place in history by risking his life sifting through the debris of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks to search for survivors in Ground Zero. Jake is a black Labrador retriever who also helped search for Hurricane Katrina victims.

Lucky and Flo are twin black Labrador Retrievers who knows how to detect counterfeit products. They were able to detect almost 2 million pirated DVDs in 2007 and landed them a feature appearance on NBC’s Today Show.

Dorado is a yellow Labrador retriever guide dog who was known to have led his owner, Omar Riviera, down 70 storeys of the World Trade Center moments before the collapse of the first tower.

Sabi belonged to the Australian Special Forces explosives detection group in Afghanistan. In 2007, Sabi was declared missing-in-action (MIA) but was recovered safe and well 14 months after.

Widgeon is Prince William’s black Labrador Retriever.

Alien, a black Lab, was the highlight of many Memphis Mad Dogs’ games. As the team mascot, he does his thing by running to the field after each kickoff to retrieve the kicking tee.
Buddy and Seamus were better known as Former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s Whitehouse pets. Buddy’s life as a famous “first pet” was cut short due to a car accident that ended his life. He was named after Bill Clinton’s late great uncle.

Old Yeller became famous as the star of the classic book and DVD.

King Buck is renowned for being the first black Lab on a US postage stamp.

“Ben of Hyde” holds the distinction as being the first recorded yellow Labrador Retriever. He was born in 1899. Many modern lines of yellow labs today can be traced back to “Ben of Hyde” line.

Koni is the Labrador retriever of Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

Ubu is the dog mascot which is seen in the credits of TV Programs under UBU Productions.
Timber, a guide dog, saved the life of his owner, Arthur Griffiths during a traffic accident. In 2005, he was awarded “Heroic Guide Dog of the Year” by Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Zanjeer was an outstanding detection dog. Many people owe their lives to this canine who was able to detect 3,329 kilograms of RDX, 57 country-made bombs, 175 petrol bombs, 242 grenades, 11 military bombs, and 600 detonators. These were ammunitions and weapons which were used during the 1993 Mumbai serial explosions.

Marley is the yellow Lab in the movie “Marley and Me” which was based on a best-selling novel of the same title and written by John Grogan. It is a true-to-life story which chronicled the thirteen wonderful years that Marley spent with Grogan and his family.

Bella was a Labrador mix that was said to live to the ripe old age of 29 years old and gained the prominence as the world’s oldest dog.

Christmas was a black Lab in the book and movie titled “A Dog Named Christmas” which as written by Greg Kincaid. Other Labs which became famous movie personalities and as characters in novels include Junkyard (Race to Witch Mountain), Luath (Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey), Randolph (A Dog About Town), Rover (Red and Rover), Sophie (Dog Eat Doug), Vincent (Lost), and Zeus (The Dog Who Saved Christmas).





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