Lake District's oldest mountain rescue search dog retires

The oldest working search and rescue dog in the Lake District has retired, aged 14-and-a-half.

Skye has served as a mountain rescue search dog for 11 years, alongside owner John Leadbetter.

The tri-coloured border collie has taken part in many operations, the most recent earlier this month.

Mr Leadbetter said that while she was a family pet, the moment she heard his pager go off "she switched into search dog mode and knew she was working".

Skye has been involved in searches in Cumbria as part of the Lake District Mountain Rescue Searchdogs, and been on operations in Lancashire, the Pennines and Scotland.

Her final callout with Kendal Mountain Rescue Team was on 11 September, when she helped search for a woman, who was reported safe the following morning.

Mr Leadbetter said the search dogs helped the team cover large areas and could pick up human scent on the wind.

"The dog just sees it as a game of hide and seek," he said.

"One dog will do the work of between 15 to 20 people on the ground across different terrains."

He recalled how Skye helped search for a man who was lost for three days on Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain.

She also visited schools and groups as part of campaigns.

"Like so many fellow handlers, it is one of the hardest decisions ever to make, to retire your search dog from the callout list," he said.

"[It was] not easy with a dog who would still love to be out there and searching, but although the head and heart are willing, the body is decidedly weaker and searching takes too much of a toll nowadays.

"Here's to a happy and full-filled retirement full of fun, exploration, enjoying the hills."

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