Orca (dog)
Orca was a male golden retriever trained by the UK charity Canine Partners as an assistance dog. As of 2007 he was one of 12 dogs to be awarded the PDSA Gold Medal, the highest award for outstanding bravery and dedication by an assistance dog, for remarkable dedication, tenacity and initiative in saving his owners' life in 2003, when he was still a young dog of 17 months age.
As a result of this and other achievements, Orca was also the first dog in the county to be officially recognised in 2004 as a "carer" by the City of York council, entitling him to an allowance for equipment and food.
Orca
Orca was born on 13 November 2001, and was partnered with his disabled handler, Cheryl Alexander (née Smith) on 28 March 2003. He is a large dog weighing approximately 36 kg. Cheryl is a wheelchair user who suffers from the disabling condition Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy syndrome, a neurological condition that effectively prevents her from walking unaided.
Orca, trained to think for himself, could respond to over 150 commands, including loading and unloading a washing machine, operating an ATM and VCR, open doors and cupboards, bring things from the fridge, untie shoelaces, remove gloves, socks, hats, scarves, shoes and jackets. He can select items from shelves in the supermarket, place them in a basket, and then put the items onto the conveyor. He could take an envelope of money into a shop which does not have wheelchair access and return with a newspaper. Orca could recognise around 30 objects by name, such as book, blanket, glove, phone, mobile, post and pole. Orca knew his left from his right and knew the difference between his left and the handler's left. He could press buttons for lifts, light switches and pedestrian crossings. Cheryl gives as an example an anecdote, that:
