German Shepherd from Baddeck honoured for heroism

An eight-year-old German Shepherd named Arik is being honoured for heroism by pet-food maker Purina for helping save an 89-year-old man's life last year in Baddeck, N.S.

Arik is one of four dogs inducted into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame during festivities on Monday in Toronto.

"I think he enjoys all the attention," Calvin Kuchta, Arik's owner, said from Toronto. "He's enjoyed everybody petting him."

On its website, the company said Arik's "natural instinct and highly refined sense of hearing and smell were put to the ultimate test" when he helped rescue Lloyd Stone.

Stone, now 90, was cross-country skiing on March 3, 2017, when he hit some ice and fell on his side. He broke his hip and was unable to get to a nearby highway. 

Kuchta, Stone's neighbour, had noticed Stone's car near the trail. When he saw it was still there three hours later, he became concerned.

Kuchta went home to get Arik, a former police dog, to help find Stone.

Arik was able to track the man's scent in the woods. As they got closer, they could hear Stone calling for help.

Stone was found lying on a rocky patch of ground. Kuchta called 911 and Stone was taken to hospital.

"Had Arik not been there to help [Kuchta] locate him so quickly, Lloyd would have likely suffered from severe hypothermia, and potentially frozen to death," Purina said in its news release.

Kuchta said Arik's training as a police dog "was definitely a huge factor in rescuing Lloyd."

"His previous handler with the RCMP said Arik was an exception police dog," said Kuchta. "He was one of the best in Nova Scotia."

Purina says its animal hall of fame is the longest-running Canadian pet-recognition program in history. This year marks its 50th anniversary.

Since the program started 179 animals have been inducted into the program, including 151 dogs, 27 cats and a horse.