ONE of the country’s most successful search and rescue dogs – a six-year-old Border collie from Cullompton called Rusty – is back on track to resume his career thanks to pioneering surgery on his leg.
Rusty, one of seven registered search and rescue dogs in the Dartmoor and Exmoor team, suffered a fracture dislocation after a road traffic accident.
He is one of just a few pets in the UK to benefit from the surgery, which involves stripping the small joints of cartilage, and putting a plate and screws in to align the bones.
Rusty’s owner, Dave Humphrey, said: “As well as being a much loved member of our family, Rusty’s a fantastically successful search and rescue dog.
“We were concerned that this injury might cut short his career finding lost and injured people in the county.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here