Barra - PDSA Order of Merit
Barra posthumously received the PDSA Order of Merit for outstanding devotion to duty and service to society as a Search and Recovery dog across the UK between 2011 and 2022. Barra passed away after 11 years of service and two years in retirement.
The PDSA Order of Merit celebrates extraordinary animals who demonstrate the unique bond between animals and humans – a bond that is PDSA’s mission to protect.
Barra's story
Based in Scotland, Barra was the only Search and Recovery Dog that specialised in searching for the bodies of missing people submerged in water in the country.
Alongside his handler Ian, Barra helped to locate countless missing people and worked on waterways across the whole of the UK but mainly on the River Clyde in Glasgow.
Ian and Barra assisted the emergency services across the UK and their services were also personally requested by the families of missing people who are desperate to find the bodies of their loved ones.
Barra’s work helped to bring closure to the families of missing people whose bodies would otherwise not have been found.
One significant example of Barra’s inspirational work is when he found the body of a missing person in the River Clyde in 2013.
A 30-year-old male had been missing for three and a half weeks but had sadly passed away. Barra helped to locate him, enabling his family to come to terms with his death and allowing them to hold a funeral to celebrate his life.
Barra’s inspirational work demonstrates the special relationship between humans and animals as his work brought immense comfort to the families of missing people.
Because of Barra, families were reunited with the bodies of their loved ones and have been able to lay them to rest, providing the families with the peace and closure they desire.
Barra’s unique skills and devotion to duty made him a worthy recipient of the PDSA Order of Merit.