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Labrador Rescue's Patron Immortalised
It was during 12 year old Yellow Labrador Endal's record
breaking 11th appearance at Crufts, that an Oil portrait of this
arguably world's most famous assistance dog was revealed to the world's
media on Sunday in the Crufts NEC press office
Carolyn Menteith writer, dog behavioural expert and
Television presenter currently on Animal Planet's Top dogs
programme..... long time friend of Allen Parton made the reveal of the
portrait. During a very emotion speech she explained how on embarking on a
professional career in the canine world, her aim was to meet exceptional
dogs and her very first assignment was to write about Endal. She has
followed Endal's career over the last ten years and often write articles
about his exploits and achievements, never once losing sight of the amazing
human animal bound that exist between this inspirational pair .
Nigel Hemming, the world renown canine artist, who had
accepted the commission to immortalise Canine Partner Endal on Canvas
,following on from Carolyn, said that this had been personally an unusually
unique and very exciting project to have been involved with. He also stated
how in awe of Endal's abilities he was and found it humbling how Endal has
transformed Allen's quality of life over the last twelve years. The
significance of the reveal has been made that bit more appropriate as
2008 has been designated the Year of the Assistance dog.
An emotional Gulf war veteran Allen Parton said
"that sadly one of the conditions of my head injury is long and short term
memory loss and my greatest fear is that in ten years time I will have
forgotten how Endal looks. This portrait, that has taken the best part of
two years to produce has closely been followed at each stage of
development by the film crew that is making the Allen and Endal movie".
After it had been revealed Allen said " I was totally lost for words. That
adoring Endal look that I am so fortunate to experience ever single day had
been truly captured on the canvas and one very precious moment in a long
and illustrious career has now been captured for ever. I really could not
have found a more perfect artist to have painted Endal in this way.
Nigel had spent an awful lot of time getting to know Endal, understanding
what makes him tick and getting right under his skin to reveal the real
Endal character"
The finished portrait has a stunning image of Endal,
proudly wearing his George cross medal, adoringly looking up towards his
human partner Allen Parton. Painted in the background are very much
softer images of Endal operating a cash point a machine, taking a tin off a
supermarket shelf, operating a train door button, even one being naughty
standing in a muddy ditch and one of Allen's all time favourite images of
them both together
It is hoped that there will be an availability of
limited addition prints of the portrait as it is so very unique and thought
to be very much a collectors item.
Allen Parton 02392571992 or 07788934455
Higher res image available
http://www.artist.co.uk/artists/nigel_hemming/
http://www.nigelhemmingeditions.com/homepagepg.html Nigel Hemming
http://www.dogtalk.co.uk/ Carolyn Menteith
www.endal.co.uk Endal's web page
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Come fly with me
 Canine
Partner Endal Arguably now one of the most famous assistance dogs in the
world and his human partner Gulf war veteran Allen Parton broke another
personal record by taking their fiftieth flight together with British
airways on Monday The event was made that bit more unusual as at their side,
at 32,000ft was Canine Partners golden retriever Ikea, one of the charity's
demo dogs, owned by Allen's wife Sandra Parton. Assistance dogs are now
allowed to travel comfortably in the cabins of aircraft now which removes
the need for sedation and crating in an aircraft hold. Normally only one
dog per flight is allowed but as Endal and Ikea live and work together they
were permitted to fly on the same aircraft.
Both dogs were given two complementary seat
spaces, so they were able to stretch out in relative comfort, Endal sleeping
all the way, except when the lunch was been served. Allen says it is so
funny to see the differences in the two breeds, Endal looks out of the
aircraft window and sees a cloud and you can see his brain thinking "can I
chase it"..Ikea on the other hand looks out and sees the cloud and thinks is
it going to crash into us ...he really is a little worrier.
Allen was accompanying his wife Sandra, Canine
Partner's puppy operations manager, on a visit to Canine Partners puppy
satellite in Scotland, 30 miles north of Dundee. The flight coming in to
Edinburgh was extremely rough because of extreme gales "said Allen" and the
announcement from the flight deck really summed it all up... "we hope the
landing was as interesting for you as it was for us on the flight deck up
front?". You can't explain to the dogs what is happening during a flight but
they both behaved impeccably despite the buffering they had to endure. The
British airways cabin crew really went out of their way to ensure that both
Endal and Ikea were comfortable through out their flights and ice cubes and
water provided (plus the odd half a sandwich).
"Our fellow passengers, especially the
children, were really amazed to see the two dogs getting on to the aircraft"
said Allen "and I think Endal and Ikea caused a delay in the turn a round as
during disembarkation everyone wanted to pet and say hello to them
on arrival at our destination.
2008 is being celebrated as the year of the
assistance dog and canine partners and the other assistance dog organization
are planning various events to recognise and raise awareness of the work
these amazing dogs carry out. Allen said faithfully Endal has been working
at my side for 12 years now and the partnership has only been as successful
as it is because of the help and assistance given to them by a very special
group of people of which he includes the staff of British airways. "The
skies really have no limits for for Endal and I" says Allen
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The Sussex Canine Centre
Canine Partner Endal opens new a new state of the art facility "The
Sussex Canine centre", located in Lewes East Sussex and he even tries
out the facilities for himself.
A not widely publicised or known fact is that Endal has suffered from
Osteochondrosis "OCD" in both his front legs
since he was a very young puppy, but with the right food, exercise and
care he has been able to continue as an assistance dog well into his
eleventh year!
His owner Allen Parton said "On a personal note, we were more than
delighted to have been asked to open this new centre, which contains a
rehabilitation clinic, fitness centre, grooming unit and an indoor
agility centre..... everything a dog and owner could ever want to
experience all under one roof. The importance of having such state of
the art facilities as these is crucial and Endal has only been able to
work for as long as he has.. through correct health management and
exercise. I only wish we had had this a facility like this on our own
door step many years a go, it is just so convenient having everything
thing in one place and experts on hand."
The dedicated
Rehabilitation Clinic
combines the use of a uniquely designed canine hydrotherapy pool,
underwater treadmill, hot spa, with physiotherapy, massage, homeopathy
and other complementary therapies. All dogs are assessed and individual
treatment programmes are monitored by our vet nurses and referring
veterinary surgeons.
The
Grooming Unit
is run by qualified groomers who offer a superb bathing, trimming and
clipping service to all breeds of dog and with mobility equipment is
also able to groom dogs with disabilities. The grooming unit is both a
commercial grooming parlour and a training unit where students are
trained in both OCN and City & Guilds Grooming Courses.
Sussex Canine Centre incorporates a
Canine Studies College
and offers excellent courses covering dog grooming, canine behaviour,
anatomy and physiology, handling skills and first aid. All courses are
run by qualified lecturers who are specialists in their field.
Dog Training Classes
are run throughout the day and evening in the indoor training arena that
is heated, air conditioned and has specialist flooring for the safety of
dogs and clients. Classes include Agility, Fly ball, Handling Skills,
with specialist classes for Children, the Elderly and Disabled dog
owners. They also have a dedicated Behaviour Clinic with a
one-way mirror and audio visual equipment so that their qualified
behaviourists are able to offer their clients a safe and private area
for discussions and support.
They even run The
Kilo Club and Vet Nurse Clinics to
help dogs with obesity and other health problems or disabilities such as
CDRM, Arthritis, HD and those recovery from traffic accidents or
similar. They include information on diet, handling and help at home
through their
Home Support Visits.
Pictures.. Endal tying out
the hydrotherapy pool, The Centre staff and
Endal and Allen, Endal pulling the opening ribbon
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A Blue Peter Badge!
 Quite
recently in the national media was a story about the abuse of the Blue
Peter badge scheme, which allowed the holders to gain free access to
many of the UK's main attractions. The cost saving that could be
made are considerable and suddenly the BP badges became a much sought
after item by the unscrupulous. Sadly because of this an all too
familiar institution was drawn in to the seedy world of black market
Blue Peter badges and many were also being sold on eBay until the BBC
were forced to take action over this abuse of badge privileges..
Initially the BBC stopped all badge privileges until a solution to
problem could be found. Well now it has and all genuine Blue peter badge
Holders are being issued with their very own official ID card to go with
the badge
Uniquely one holder of the highest award a
Gold Blue peter badge is none other than Labrador Endal. Who received
his badge for saving the life of his human partner Allen Parton so
dramatically at Crufts four years ago.
The then producer Rob Unsworth said
"A gold Blue Peter badge is the programme's highest accolade, only
awarded for outstanding achievements, or for saving a life. Endal
deserves one on both counts, and we're delighted to recognise his
incredible talents this way. He really is an exceptional dog."
(Endal is only the second dog to receive a gold badge in the programme's
history - the first was long-serving Blue Peter dog Bonnie, in 1999).
Well now Endal can once again
officially visit all the UK's major attractions and gain free Entry
(Card Details blanked out to prevent fraud)
 "Allen
and Endal and the cameras keep rolling!"
Assistance dog Endal and Allen Parton being
shadowed by a film crew is hardly news these days, veterans of over
three hundred film crews in their nine year partnership. Allen said
"Endal is not a dog trained to do tricks for the camera, what he
does every day has real purpose and enables me to have a quality of life
I once thought lost to me for ever. When the crews leave at the end of
a busy days filming Endal still goes on working for me right up until my
head hits the pillow at the end of the day. It is trying to get the
balance right when agreeing to being filmed that Endal is not exposed to
an intolerable work load that compromises the safety of our partnership.
My wife Sandra (who is a qualified nurse) knows that when she goes out
of the front door that should the need arise Endal will save my life
should I collapse unconscious. His ability to put me into the recovery
position, cover me with a blanket and then activate the emergency phone
system as well as barking to alert the neighbours is serious stuff. He
has learnt should I collapse in the bath to pull the plug out first
before any other emergency procedure.
The latest filming involved the Channel four
film crew following this world famous partnership going about their
daily life. I always chuckle with pride when you hear the producer, who
has spent many years filming doggie related programmes, say after a day
of filming "is there anything that Endal can't do?" I hate to admit it
said Allen "but because we living this partnership every day for real
sometimes I forget just what Endal does do during the day for me without
being asked or nagged too. So being reminded during filming of Endal
abilities is a good thing for me to not be too complacent and it is
all very humbling.
Endal was filmed going about his regular
chores in the Parton household and then out and about in the Hampshire
market town of Petersfield. Buying the bus fare, operating the cash
point machine, shopping, helping doing the washing, operating traffic
lights the list is endless. Throughout all the filming his otter like
tail never stopped wagging said Allen I think of the dogs tail as the
weather vain to a dogs very soul!
One of the usual question that causes a huge
tidal wave of emotions to well up and that is what will happen when
Endal can't work any more? I can't recall or know a life without Endal
said Allen and I know dogs don't life as long as us but it is an issue
that is always on my mind. I have never noticed a decline in my
condition said Allen and this is because Endal has taken on the work
load each and every day, but as he gets older then I suppose I will
start to feel the impact more. It is quite a scary time knowing that I
am going to become more disabled again, having had this quality of life
through Endal's love and devotion. It has been agreed and I find this a
really a great comfort that Endal will retire to me when the time comes
to hang up his cherished purple jacket. He will still be able to give me
the psychological support he has always given me over the last nine
years which has been just as important to me as the physical help. Also
I feel that next natural stage of my rehab is to be able to be in the
position of having to care for him in his old age...two old crocks
together!
Worry not though said Allen... Endal is not
having any thoughts of retirement yet..... currently well in the middle
of his second puppy hood and working at such a level it is almost
mind-blowing especially when you consider Endal is a 10 year old dog. No
way does the expression "you can't teach an old dog new trick" apply to
Endal. It was recently reported in the national media that Endal has
mastered the chip and pin machines, quite an impressive latest addition
to his CV..just watch this space!!!!!
Can't keep a good dog down
 As
the filming of the Endal movie now proceeds apace, significant parts of
the filming will involve Endal visiting his past mile stones. One such
moment was when Endal was the first ever dog to Fly on the British
Airways London Eye, now a veteran of countless flights , yesterday in
London Allen and Endal recreated the first flight with the film crew in
tow
Allen said "it was just amazing to witness how famous Endal has become
and his presence at the Eye caused quite a stir, not only with the
British public but with so many of the over seas visitors too who have
seen Endal on television in their home countries. We nearly missed our
pod because of the countless requested photo shoots that Endal was asked
to appear in"
Gently stroking Endal's ear Allen said" The British Airways London Eye
team have been so very supportive of this partnership over the years and
they really couldn't do enough to facilitate yesterdays filming. The
whole day went like clockwork because of everyone's help and
kindness, through out Endal was just so relaxed and having an absolute
ball. I swear he is having his second puppy hood at the moment because
he was so fascinated by the views and immensely excited at seeing birds
flying below him for a change. The filming required the infamous due to
take two flights around the eye during which Allen Endal were
interviewed about their nine year partnership.
"Some times I have just have to pinch myself to prove this is all not a
dream" said Allen "I never know from one moment to the next where Endal
will take me, being on top of the world on the London eye yesterday has
to be one of those all time classic moments"
This visit was equally significant because Canine Partners launched
their new logo and colours four years ago at the London eye in a blaze
of media interest
Endal
 Being a Labrador Charity, we thought it only appropriate that we have a dog as a
patron! Endal is a very special dog and one that gives Allen the
independence he needs. He is so special he has been named dog of the
millennium. He does everything for Allen and can put a credit card in the
machine, open train doors and do many more things that make life bearable.
He is from the
www.caninepartners.co.uk and we,
at Labrador Rescue South East & Central, love him very much. Please call
back at regular intervals for updates on his, and Allen's, escapades.
more stories
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