The Dog Who Brought a Family Back from Nothing

Allen Parton came home from the Gulf War in a wheelchair, unable to say his children's names. He had survived, but 50 percent of his memory was gone. He could not walk, write, or speak. He could not remember marrying Sandra. Doctors told her she was free to leave.

A Dog Who Also Failed

Endal was a yellow Labrador who had been dismissed from service dog training after developing osteochondrosis in both front legs. He seemed an unlikely candidate to change anyone's life. But when Allen visited the training kennels in the late 1990s, Endal trotted over and placed his head in Allen's lap. Something clicked. Endal began mirroring Allen's gestures - responding to a touch on the chin as a command for a hat, a touch on the cheek for a phone call. Over time, he learned more than 200 commands built mostly from hand signals and gestures - Allen had severe word-retrieval difficulties and could communicate far more through gesture than speech. He could load a washing machine, operate a cash machine, pull goods off supermarket shelves, and drag a bath plug to prevent his owner from drowning in the tub.

The Car Park

On 24 May 2001, Allen was crossing a hotel car park when a vehicle struck him and knocked him from his wheelchair. He was unconscious. Endal acted without hesitation. He pulled Allen into the recovery position - the standard first-aid posture that protects the airway. He retrieved Allen's mobile phone from beneath the car. He pulled a blanket from the overturned wheelchair and placed it over his owner. He barked at the hotel entrance until no one responded, then ran inside and returned with staff who called an ambulance. Endal had never been specifically trained for a road traffic emergency. The story was broadcast by over 340 film crews from around the world.

Best Man

In November 2002, Endal received the PDSA Gold Medal - the civilian equivalent of the George Cross for animals, awarded for outstanding devotion to duty. The following year, he became only the second dog ever to receive a Gold Blue Peter Badge. The moment that defined the story came when Allen and Sandra chose to marry again. They had wed before the Gulf War. Allen had no memory of that day. They held a full ceremony. Endal was best man.

His Legacy

Endal died on 13 March 2009, aged 13, after a stroke. In his final months, he trained his successor - a dog Allen named EJ, for Endal Junior - in the same routines they had built together over a decade. In February 2010, Allen founded Hounds for Heroes, a charity providing assistance dogs to injured Armed Forces and Emergency Services veterans. In interviews, Allen described Endal as the one who gave him back the ability to feel.