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Champ: Brock and handler Lou take victory pose for photographs
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Brock becomes Crufts' champion

March 09, 2009

Bracknell's top dog Brock was last night crowned winner the of the Friends for Life competition.

The search and rescue collie-cross Australian shepherd dog, who found the body of weapons expert Dr David Kelly, came first in the Crufts 2009 contest.

Crufts 2009's Friend for Life contest aims to recognise Britain's canine heroes.

Send a message of congratulation to Brock and his handler here.

Brock lives with his handler Lou Holmes in Bracknell.

The competition was decided by public vote and contestants came in the form of an assistance dog to a former soldier, a police dog who saved his handler's life and the youngest ever deaf girl to receive a hearing dog.

As a lowland search and rescue dog based in Berkshire, Brock and his handler Louise Holmes discovered the body of Dr Kelly in July 2003.

Since then most of the work Brock does relates to finding sufferers of Alzheimers.

One particular search was for a lady who wandered after her carer had left her house door unlocked. Brock was able to track her from her house through the streets some hours after she had gone missing.

Luckily she was found and brought home safely. Without Brock, the police would have been searching for hours possibly days until someone found her.

Brock has a Chief Constable's Commendation. The only non police dog to ever receive a Chief Constable's commendation in the Thames Valley area.

Berkshire search and rescue dogs is a volunteer search group on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to assist the police and other emergency services in locating lost or missing persons.

All team members have full time occupations and they rely on donations to stay running.

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A friend told me about Brock, I lost my red & white collie called Reddog last year and he looks just like yours from LH side. I now work for the Alzheimer's Society and did not know dogs were used to find such missing people but think this is a brilliant idea. Good luck with the 'hunting' Brock! Such a handsome boy!