By Lisa Ramsden
Receiving top honours really is becoming a bit of a habit for leading dog trainer, Newcastle’s Dr Neil Powell. Hot on the heels of being lauded for his outstanding contribution in the world of search and rescue at the inaugural NI Blue Light Awards in March, he has just received a lifetime achievement award at the Global Search and Rescue Excellence Awards.
Praised for his “lifetime of service,” Neil – founder of the Search and Rescue Dog Association (Ireland North) – has been recognised for making “a profound and lasting impact on global search and rescue efforts.”
At Friday’s Global Search and Rescue Excellence Awards in London, he was recognised for over 40 years of pioneering work in search and rescue dog training and deployment, which has saved countless lives in some of the world’s most challenging terrains.
Guests heard how, as “the visionary founder” of SARDA IN, Neil “has not only advanced canine search and rescue in Ireland but has also contributed internationally through missions in Turkey, Algeria and Pakistan, and through groundbreaking work such as the development of optical disc detection dogs.”
Read the full story in the current issue of the Mourne Observer.
