On 20 December (2007), Ghillie, a two-year-old Springer Spaniel from Kirkwall, Orkney, received the prestigious PDSA Gold Medal - the animals’ George Cross – for gallantry and life-saving devotion.
At a very special ceremony at the Orkney Hotel in Kirkwall, PDSA Deputy Chairman, Chris Heaps, presented Ghillie with his PDSA Gold Medal. Guests heard how the dog’s determination and devotion, in December 2005, saved the life of his owner’s mother, Mary Wilson, who collapsed on a local bridle path while they were out walking. Ghillie’s constant barking attracted the attention of a group of engineers inspecting poles nearby. The dog’s insistence that they follow him back along the path to where Mary lay unconscious undoubtedly saved her life.
