Vancouver German shepherd Teak was one of four dogs nationwide inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame in Toronto Monday, honoured for extraordinary acts of heroism.
Teak, an eight-year-old police service dog, was instrumental in catching an armed suspect who was fleeing the scene of a robbery in South Vancouver this past January. The dog sustained brutal knife wounds in the altercation but held his grasp on the suspect until his handler called him down.
This is the second award for Teak who also received a meritorious service award in November 2012 for his efforts in another similar incident.
His handler, Vancouver police Const. Derrick Gibson is Teak’s owner. Gibson called Teak “the best partner I’ve ever had” and said the Hall of Fame induction is the ultimate tribute.
“It culminates all the hard work he’s done. For the [police] department, and for the citizens of Vancouver and the province of British Columbia, it’s just fantastic. I don’t think there could be a better honour, and he deserves it 100 per cent” he said in a Purina video.
Teak is one of two British Columbia canines honoured in the ceremony.
Vicious saved owner Angie Prime when a cougar lunged at her in her home. The dog jumped on the cougar and chased it from the house.
“To be able to showcase our pets when they do something amazing like this, is pretty fantastic,” Prime said in a Purina video.
This year’s other honorees are a two-year-old Bernese mountain dog from Milton, N.S., Bella, and Snickers, a four-year-old border collie-pointer cross from Oshawa, Ont.
Bella removed her physically-disabled owner from of their burning home. Chris Larocque fell while cooking in the kitchen and escaped the fire by holding Bella’s collar as she pulled him out of the house.
"Without Bella's devotion, strength and courage I would have died in the fire that destroyed my home," saidLarocque, said in a press release. "She is truly our family hero, and we're so happy that Bella is being recognized for her life-saving efforts.”
Snickers alerted neighbours after Greg Gould fell unconscious on his living room floor. The dog broke through the back door of their home, and barked until neighbours called the police and paramedics took him to hospital.
Doctors later said Gould only had an hour to live had he not received medical attention.
Over the award’s 45-year history, there have been over 150 inductees, including 132 dogs, 26 cats and a horse.