Disabled officer bids farewell to labrador who saved his marriage and his life

[bijou]

It was the most devoted of partnerships - a glorious tale of a man in a wheelchair and his very remarkable dog.
But today old age and infirmity finally caught up with Endal the Labrador and he had to be put to sleep.
In the last 12 years, Endal had saved the life - and marriage - of his master Allen Parton, a former Royal Navy officer who was disabled in a car crash in 1991 during the Gulf War.
'I knew, of course, as every pet owner does, that this day would one day come, but it doesn't make it any easier,' said Mr Parton.
'I'm afraid I'm not coping with it particularly well. But I couldn't bear to see Endal suffer after he had a stroke at the weekend.'
During their time together, Endal helped Mr Parton, from Clanfield in Hampshire, with everyday chores such as emptying the washing machine and doing the shopping.
He was voted Dog of the Millennium and given the PDSA's coveted Gold Medal - the canine equivalent of the George Cross - for saving Mr Parton's life in 2001 after he had been knocked from his wheelchair by a car.

Endal dragged his owner into the recovery position, pulled a blanket over him and ran to a hotel barking for help.

A book about his life - simply called Endal - also tells how the dog brought Mr Parton and his wife Sandra back from the brink of divorce after the accident robbed Mr Parton of his memory.
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What an amazing dog, and a great partnership.

[Flame]

RIP Endal.  Good dog.

[Peter3_1]

Lost my dog Feb. three this year. We had him for 10 years (he was 15) and he helped me after my health problems too. He'd try and hepl me in my physical therapy, he made it more difficult, but he tried so hard to make it better, I just could not scold him away. He was so proud of his efforts to help. Yes, it is hard to lose a good dog, very hard.