Recently, Philanthropy Daily highlighted the work of Maria Dickin (1870-1951). The article described her as an “energetic Edwardian social reformer.” Her mission was to help the sick and abandoned animals she encountered in her home of London, England. Saddened and motivated by the conditions of the animals she saw around her and on the streets, she founded the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals in 1917, which celebrated its 100th year of operation last year.
Today, PDSA (People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals) is the UK’s leading vet charity. Now with 48 pet hospitals, the teams provide 2.7 million veterinary treatments – including 440,000 preventative treatments each year. Their work helps over 470,000 animals yearly. This organization has become the UK’s leading authority on pet health.
After establishing PDSA, another notable idea came from Maria Dickin. In 1943, she created a way to recognize the achievements of the animals who nobly participated in World War II. In order to honor these heroic animals, she founded the Dickin Medal. It is considered the highest award an animal can earn. Between 1943 and 1949, the medal was awarded 54 times. The honorees included 32 pigeons, 18 dogs, three horses, and one cat.
The majority of the recipients were pigeons who delivered important messages under challenging circumstances in World War II. In 1949, the only cat recipient named Simon received the honor. He had been aboard HMS Amethyst in 1948 in China. Even though he was badly hurt by shrapnel, he killed many rats on the ship. When the Amethyst made it to safety, Simon was recognized as a national hero.
The Dickin Medal wasn’t awarded between the years 1949 and 2000, but was revived in 2000 to honor a Newfoundland dog named Gander, who saved infantrymen during the Battle of Lye Mun.
Since last fall, the Dickin Medal has been awarded 69 times, and one honorary award was made in 2014 to all the animals that served in World War I.
Maria Dickin’s legacy of helping animals in need and honoring their bravery has left an amazing impact that recognizes the lives of our animal friends.
Source: https://www.philanthropydaily.com/dickin-medal-awards-a-great-philanthropic-initiative