How missing cat helped Staffordshire Bull Terrier win top award

It is a tale as old as time – dogs chasing cats. But for one very good girl it has led to a national award.

Scout, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was found abandoned, desperately underweight and suffering from severe skin problems in Leek, Staffordshire, during the first Covid-19 lockdown.

She was taken in by Marilyn Gilchrist, who trains dogs to track scents, and within a few years put her skills to use – helping Gilchrist’s friend track down her missing cat, Ripley, who had been lost for more than a fortnight.

In recognition of her trailing abilities, Scout has now been awarded the Service Dogs UK and National Foundation for Retired Service Animals dog medal of honour.

“There was just something about her that felt like she was ours and she was meant to be with us,” Gilchrist said of her new canine companion.