Jess just the ‘bees knees’

HEROIC canine Jess has a medallion to prove her bravery, but she is ever alert during this photo shoot with Robert Buckley and daughters Monique (left) and Simone at their Racecourse Road home. 278061AD

By Grant Johnston

The Buckley family of Racecourse Road owe their dog Jess big time - and they show her every day.

The 16-month-old fox terrier was awarded a 2006 ProPlan NZ Canine Heroes Award on Friday night. She was awarded a medallion and a year’s supply of ProPlan premium dog food as the winner of the NZ Life Saving Dog of the Year Award for her efforts in raising the alarm as her family’s home burned.

In July this year Jess had the choice of running for cover and waiting for help, or waking up her household as flames were fast engulfing the family home and its other occupants, Robert Buckley and daughters Monique (22), Simone (21) and Shaunie (13).

Jess chose to bark furiously at the top of the staircase in the two-storey house. As a result of her persistency, the family were aroused from their sleep and managed to scramble to safety and the house was saved too.

Monique says they love Jess to bits and really appreciate what she did for them, but she is still ‘just Jess’ and has to be told off occasionally. But Mr Buckley reckons she’s ‘spoiled rotten’.

Jess and her owners travelled to the opening day of the New Zealand Kennel Club’s ProPlan national Dog Show at Palmerston North’s Arena Manawatu on Friday for her to collect her award.

At the Canine Heroes function, awards were also presented to two other dogs. Seven-year-old German Shepherd, Trude retired this year after nearly four years in the role of New Zealand’s only reading dog. Trude visited Birkdale Primary School (Auckland) every Friday to allow children with learning difficulties to read to her. She won the ProPlan Service Dog of the Year Award.

Border Collie-cross, Judy of Upper Hutt, who survived the drowning of her 11 siblings, is still going strong 16 years later and won the ProPlan Pet of the Year Award.