Brave Dogs Awarded
PC Neil Sampson with police dog Anya and her medal.
Police dogs Anya, Frodo and Oi received their Medals at HM Tower of London at a ceremony hosted by TV personality, Graham Norton.
At just two-and-a-half-years-old, Police dog Anya was stabbed in the chest while defending her handler, PC Neil Sampson, from a knife-wielding attacker in January 2008. PC Sampson, was stabbed seven times during the attack. Despite her injuries, Anya continued to defend PC Sampson and his colleagues, so preventing further, potentially fatal, wounds.
Also receiving PDSA’s Gold Medal was five-year-old Beagle, Frodo, who turned life-saver one night in June 2008 when fire swept through the family home in St Bees, Cumbria. Smoke alarms in the house were faulty, but Frodo sensed the danger and woke up his owner, Jenny Barwise. The heroic dog then led the way through dense smoke to where other members of the family were sleeping. Frodo was hailed a hero by Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service for his actions.
The third PDSA Gold Medal was a posthumous award to Oi, a courageous Staffordshire bull terrier. When a gang armed with machetes forced their way into the family’s London home in July 2008, Oi was there to confront the intruders. During the violent encounter, one family member was wounded and Oi received a crashing machete blow to the head, exposing her brain. Despite suffering horrific injuries, Oi’s relentless efforts forced the gang to flee and the blood-soaked dog was rushed to Thamesmead PDSA PetAid hospital, The Freda Powell Centre, for emergency treatment. Oi died from cancer in March 2010.
PDSA vet Sean Wensley with Frodo and his medal.
Since its inception in 2001, the PDSA Gold Medal has now been awarded to 18 heroic animals. Recipients include police explosives search dogs Vinnie, Jake and Billy for their life-saving work in the aftermath of the 7/7 terrorist bombings in London, in 2005.
Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.
