Lake District bids farewell to UK's longest-serving rescue dog Skye

Skye the Border Collie sadly died on August 20 after serving with the Lake District Mountain Rescue Searchdogs for 11 years.

She took part in more than 200 searches before retiring in 2020. During her service, Skye and handler John Leadbetter carried out searches in all weathers to help locate missing people.

Skye was rushed to the vets after collapsing in the garden last week. Scans showed that Skye’s spleen and liver were abnormal and that there had been a suspected rupture.

Any type of operation was deemed too high risk for Skye so John made the ‘hardest decision’ for the poorly pooch’s dignity, quality of life and respect to her years of service.

At 11.20, wearing her green graded search-dog tag and jacket, Skye sadly died.

Searchdog Skye and her Handler John Leadbetter at Kendal Mountain Search & Rescue Team. Photo by PDSA and Stuart Walker

Skye began her life with the National Search and Rescue Dog Association England (SARDA) before beginning her long service career with Lake District Mountain Rescue Search Dogs when the family relocated to Windermere.

Starting out as both a trainee search dog and handler with Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue Team (DFMRT), Skye and John were regular attendees at training sessions.

As she progressed through the training stages, Skye won the hearts of many dogsbodies, her teamwork, reliability, strong bark and determination shone through.

In 2009 after a series of assessments, Skye was awarded the green tag of a graded search dog.

READ MORE: Barrow artist Maria Guselli gives special gift to honour Skye's 'animal OBE'

Her first search operation after the grading was supporting Bowland Pennine in looking for a missing woman.

Skye continued with her search dog career, supporting DFMRT in coastal searches, paw deep in mud and sand, high mountain searches on the ‘dark side’ of Scafell and the remoteness of Coniston and Furness Fells.

Answering the call when LDMRSDA had an ‘all dogs’ callout, working alongside many of her four-paw pals in searching fellside, forests, mountains and valleys.

John said: “Her work with DFMRT wasn’t just on rescues, she won team hearts, helped train the team into how to work with search dogs, she was a star at fundraising events and often did talks and demonstrations, promoting the great work that we as volunteers do both as Mountain Rescue and as search dog Teams. DFMRT had seen our girl, grow from a trainee to a fully-fledged search dog.”

Skye carrying out her life-saving work on the Lake District fells

In 2018, Skye transferred to Kendal Mountain Rescue Team where she took on a more sedate role due to her older age, carrying out her last-call out on September 11 2020.

Skye took to the national stage earlier this year after she was awarded the PDSA Order of Merit (the animal OBE) for her distinguished service with mountain search and rescue teams in the Lake District. She was the first mountain rescue search dog to receive this award.

READ MORE: Lake District Mountain Rescue dog Skye awarded PDSA Order of Merit for 11 years of service

Skye’s owner and handler, John, said: “To many she was a bouncy, waggy tail, with a sparkle in her eyes that could light up the fellside. There are many school groups, WI’s, Ramblers, Cubs, Scouts and Guides that have wondered at the talent of our search dogs as demonstrated by Skye. She has represented LDMRSDA at National and International levels acting as a great ambassador.

“To me, my Skye, my ‘mountain buddy’, was a true companion in all that life could throw at us.

Skye with her Order of Merit

“We have had mountain adventures, I’ve shed tears when I thought I’d lost her as a pup, she has urinated down me on her first helicopter training. Battled the fiercest of storms. And each time she just knew when to give me the comforting paw or the checking glance, to reassure me. Always at my side.

“Skye’s passing leaves a big void in our household, we can take some comfort in the knowledge that, as a dog’s life goes, Skye had a pretty amazing and action packed one.

“Rest in peace Skye ’doggy dog’.”