Search dog once abandoned for being too energetic retires after final Venezuelan earthquake mission
Davey developed into one of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service's specialist search dogs, working across collapsed buildings, explosions and high-risk missing person searches.
A Springer Spaniel once given up for being too energetic is retiring after helping save lives in disaster zones across the world.
Listen to this article
Davey, a nine-and-a-half-year-old rescue dog from Dogs Trust Shoreham, will officially retire on August 1 after returning from one final overseas deployment with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.
In July, Davey travelled to Venezuela as one of six search dogs in the UK International Search and Rescue (ISAR) team, helping search for people missing following the devastating earthquake on June 24.
The team arrived to temperatures of 35C and 95 per cent humidity, and for Davey’s handler, Lindsay Sielski BEM, Canine Lead for the UK ISAR team, it was an emotional deployment.
"It was always going to be a special one because I knew it would be Davey's last," says Lindsay.
Read more: Burnham keeps pet dog away from No 10 'because of Larry the cat'
"Watching all six dogs work so hard made me incredibly proud, but there were moments when I found myself watching Davey, knowing this was the end of such an extraordinary chapter.
"The heat was intense, but the recent weather at home had actually worked in our favour. The dogs were already used to working in those conditions and, as always, Davey just got on with the job. He absolutely loved every minute."
Davey was handed over to Dogs Trust Shoreham as a young dog after his owners struggled to meet his energy needs. Boisterous, bright and impossible to tire out, he wasn't suited to life as a typical pet. But staff at the centre recognised something others hadn't, an instinct to search.
They contacted Lindsay, who had joined Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service as a firefighter in 2006 before volunteering for the specialist ISAR team. After passing a demanding 72-hour selection process, she became a search dog handler before eventually taking on the role full time.
When Davey, then called Teddy, arrived, he was full of energy but lacked even the basics.
"He wasn't naughty, just untrained and bored," says Lindsay.
"He had no recall, but he could find anything. No matter how many toys were out, he'd pick the one the other dogs couldn't. That's when I knew he was the one. You can train behaviour, but you can't teach that search instinct."
Even his name was quickly settled for him. Lindsay had planned to call him Serge, but when someone called out "Dave", he came straight back, and so Davey stuck.
With the right training and an outlet for his energy, Davey developed into one of Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service's specialist search dogs, working across collapsed buildings, explosions and high-risk missing person searches across the UK.
His first international deployment came after the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye in 2023, where he searched up to 40 buildings a day in gruelling conditions.
Over ten days, the UK team rescued eight people from the rubble. Search dogs, including Davey, located further survivors, with Davey responsible for finding two people who were later rescued.
After a week of searching, when hopes were fading, one moment stood out.
"Someone from the Turkish team came running over to say that where Davey had been barking, another person had been rescued," says Lindsay. "It was the lift we needed."
Davey was later deployed to Morocco before returning to the frontline this summer for his final mission in Venezuela.
His work in Türkiye earned international recognition when he was named International Search and Rescue Dog of the Year at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Awards at BAFTA in London. He has also been recognised at Crufts for his contribution as a working search dog.
Away from the frontline, Davey became an ambassador for both Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and Dogs Trust, visiting schools and community events, calling in at 10 Downing Street and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, featuring in the Foreign Secretary's Boxing Day message, appearing in a children's book and even enjoying 15 minutes of fame at the London premiere of PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie on behalf of Dogs Trust in 2023.
Now, after more than nine years of service, Davey is swapping international deployments for a quieter life at home with Lindsay, her husband Steve, also a firefighter, and their 13-year-old son. His operational role will be taken on by the next generation of search dogs, including Finn, who has been learning alongside his experienced mentor.
From a dog once considered too much to one who has helped save lives around the world, Davey's story is a powerful reminder that the right home really can change everything.