National award for litter-picking dog Woodie

20 August 2019

Border Collie receives PDSA Commendation after collecting 7,500 bags of rubbish

A thirteen-year-old Border Collie from Leicester is being honoured by leading veterinary charity PDSA, after helping his owner collect over 7,500 bags of litter.

For the past nine years, Nita Pearson (66) and her loyal dog Woodie have spent over two-hours each day picking up discarded rubbish, including beer cans, coffee cups and sweet wrappers, to bin and recycle near their home in Thringstone.

Woodie was nominated for the PDSA Commendation by Nita, to recognise his tireless efforts in helping the environment.

Nita adopted Woodie from a rescue centre in 2010 and he has been a loyal companion ever since. Woodie suffered from anxiety at the time, and Nita was keen to look at activities that would help him adjust to his new life.

Nita said: “I have been litter picking for many years, and Woodie joined me as soon as I got him. It has been really good for Woodie, he was very nervous at first but has made lots of friends during our daily litter picks.

“We will go out whatever the weather, even on Christmas Day! We are both passionate about keeping our village tidy and between us we pick up more than 70 bags of rubbish a month.

“The response from our fellow villagers has been amazing. Woodie has become a much-loved character and people always come and say hello. Some people are really grateful and will often bring along some doggy biscuits for Woodie as a way of saying thank you.

“There are young people who have grown up with Woodie, and they still make the effort to come over and speak to us. He doesn’t show it, but deep down I think he enjoys all the attention!”

As well as their daily little picks, the duo have given talks to local schoolchildren about the importance of looking after the environment. Woodie and Nina are active members of the community, organising fundraisers, planting flowers and hosting heritage events at surrounding villages.

Earlier this year, Nita was awarded a British Empire Medal (BME) for her services to the community, but wanted to ensure that Woodie also received the recognition he deserves.

Woodie was presented with his PDSA Commendation by charity vet Robert Haselgrove at a special ceremony at Leicester PDSA Pet Hospital.

Robert said: “The PDSA Commendation recognises the outstanding devotion that animals display and celebrates the amazing ways they enrich our lives. We are astonished by the incredible dedication shown by pets across the country, and Woodie is a worthy recipient of the PDSA Commendation.

“We are so impressed by his dedication to keeping his village tidy, whilst engaging with other members of the community. Woodie has been a true companion to Nita, and we hope his efforts will inspire other pets and their owners to take pride in their local communities.”

Nita concludes: “We are a team and I couldn’t do these litter picks without Woodie. I have suffered from depression in the past, but Woodie has helped me in so many ways. He is always there for me, and I am delighted that his efforts are being recognised with the PDSA Commendation. I couldn’t be prouder of him, and we have invited all our friends over to celebrate with a party.”

The PDSA Commendation is part of PDSA’s Animal Awards Programme, which also includes the PDSA Dickin Medal – the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, the PDSA Gold Medal, known as the animal’s George Cross and the PDSA Order of Merit, the animal’s OBE. To date, the PDSA Commendation has been awarded to dogs, horses, cats and a rabbit.

The PDSA Animal Awards Programme was instituted in 1943 by the charity’s founder, Maria Dickin. She believed that, if animals were recognised for their heroic actions, it would help to raise their status in society, ensuring they are better treated.