Rip (dog)

Rip was found as a stray following a heavy bombing raid of Poplar, London in 1940 by Air Raid Warden Mr E. King. He began acting as an unofficial rescue dog, being used to sniff out casualties trapped beneath buildings, and became the service's first search and rescue dog. Rip was not trained for search and rescue work, but took to it instinctively. ==Awards==

Rip was awarded the Dickin Medal in 1945, two years after it was introduced. The citation reads: "For locating many air-raid victims during the blitz of 1940". The Dickin Medal is often referred to as the animal metaphorical equivalent of the Victoria Cross. When he died in 1946, Rip became the first of a number of Dickin Medal winners to be buried in the PDSA Cemetery in Ilford, Essex. Twelve recipients of the medal are now buried in the PDSA Cemetery. ==See also==