children’s wards too to support younger patients. David said: “Jasper’s role has always been to make people smile and feel better and during the peak of the pandemic, when everyone was giving so much, sometimes staff just needed to have a cuddle with Jasper, have a cry and go back to the wards.” Jasper is trained to go to people showing distress or crying and is very perceptive to the emotions around him. David explained that although the peak of the pandemic has passed, it was at this point for some staff that the trauma of the previous months hit home, and many have continued to struggle as the next wave of COVID patients has been markedly younger. David, who received a British Empire Medal for his work during the pandemic, said: “All of us here will carry the scars of working through COVID forever, so it is important we offer this support. We are thrilled that Jasper has been given this award from IFAW and will ensure he has a few extra treats on the day in recognition of all his hard work!” Jasper received his Animal of the Year award ‘in person’ at IFAW’s prestigious Animal Action Awards event at the House of Lords, while Bear was given Special Recognition and appeared via video. Six-year-old rescue dog Bear, an Australian koolie, was once struggling to find a forever home due to his boundless energy and obsessive enthusiasm for play. However, these qualities, together with a sharply honed sense of smell, made Bear an A* canine student when he was trained by the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC’s) Detection Dogs for Conservation team. He now works as an IFAW x USC koala detection dog to sniff out koalas, and sometimes other native wildlife, in need of rescue. Bear, who recognises the scent of the fur of live koalas, has been trained to drop silently to the ground at the base of the tree where he has located a koala, to ensure it is not disturbed. During the infamous Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020, which raged 12 | Total Grooming Magazine
Bear on the job photo courtesy of Tyson Mayr.
across Australia, huge swathes of koala habitat were destroyed and thousands of koalas were among the billions of wild animals that perished. One ray of hope at this time was Bear, whose searches of scorched land resulted in more than 100 koalas being located, many in need of veterinary care. Some suffered burn injuries while others were severely malnourished and dehydrated, but Bear’s efforts enabled them to be rescued and rehabilitated before being released back to the wild. Bear’s handler Dr Romane Cristescu, of USC, said: “We think Bear really deserved this award because he’s been
such a good boy in helping us find and rescue a lot of koalas, especially during the bushfires, but he works throughout the year to help us in our job to make a better and safer place for koalas. We’ll give Bear extra pats and extra play for his award.” James Sawyer, UK Director of IFAW, said: “Jasper and Bear are two truly amazing dogs, both highlighting the important and positive relationships between animals and humans. They have made a huge difference to so many and continue to do so. We are very proud to recognise their achievements with IFAW awards.”
If you would like to nominate someone for an Animal Action Award for 2022 please write to: IFAW Animal Action Awards, Second Floor, 209-215 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NL or email info-uk@ifaw.org
About IFAW The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is a global non-profit helping animals and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org.
