Kerry suffered from chronic pain and was unable to walk. He was diagnosed with severe depression two years after being gravely injured in a car crash. He then adopted Max, now a 13-year-old Springer Spaniel, in 2008.
Kerry’s wife, Angela, forced him to just go get a pint of milk from the shops. It was on this forced walk that he noticed a brown muzzle sticking through the fence. And nothing has been the same since.
Kerry credits Max for saving his life.
Max gave Kerry a purpose to get out. The owners of Max were too busy to take him for walks. So when Kerry asked if he can take Max for walks, they were delighted. The walks got longer and longer. Eventually, Max’s owners had to leave town and asked Kerry to adopt him.
After Kerry retrained as a locksmith, Max joined him in his van and became “head of security”. That is when Kerry started uploading pictures of Max on his business’s Facebook page. This led to more people wanting to see pictures of the spaniel, rather than the deconstructed locks.
Kerry decided to create a separate page for Max after a friend gave him the idea.
He was an instant hit. Everyone fell in love with the soulful stare that Max gives.
And so Max Out in the Lake District Facebook Page was born.
People from around the world could join them via Facebook Live Streams on their walks. They would then share their difficult stories with Kerry and how this spaniel provided them with comfort.
“I never used to want to talk about depression, but now I’m perfectly happy to because I have found that just talking about such things lifts them off your shoulders,” Kerry told the BBC.
In 2017, they decided to get a friend for Max, and so Paddy came into their lives. Although lively, the two got on very well. Then in 2019, Kerry was told that Paddy’s mother was expecting another litter and was asked if they would consider adding another member to the family.
And so Harry, named after Prince Harry of Winterfeld, came into the scene. And their social media account exploded.
With the surge in Facebook followers, Kerry decided to do a charity walk. Where they raised about £1000. After such a successful first walk, they decided to do many more.
Max The Miracle Dog went on to make school visits, public appearances, and charity walks. Meeting and assisting over 10,000 people and raising more than £300,000 for charities like the PDSA.
He did a photoshoot with the Armed Forces. And was even invited to the Buckingham Palace Garden party in 2019. Where they got to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
You can watch the moment Max met the Royals here:
Max’s ability to charm everyone he meets persuaded Kerry to register him as a therapy dog.
Which led to the Keswick Town Council approving plans for his statue to be mounted in the town.
In Kerry’s memoir Max the Miracle Dog, the family of a woman who had terminal cancer secretly arranged for her to meet Max when she visited Castlerigg, an ancient stone circle in Keswick. She left him with these impressionable words:
“Don’t make a bucket list, a list of things to do, but rather a bucket of memories. Whatever it is you want to do, just get on and do it.”
Despite Kerry being wary that pain from his injuries can return at any time, being out with the dogs brings him happiness.
“You cannot go for a walk with a dog and not just feel happy.”
Max The Miracle Dog was the first pet to receive a PDSA Order of Merit since the award’s creation in 2014.
The previous 32 dogs and horses to receive the award were all explicitly trained to fulfill responsibilities in society. Such as Police Dogs and Horses, Medical Detection Dogs, and Search and Rescue Dogs.
“Max has become a symbol of happiness and hope to thousands of people. We were happy to honor him with the PDSA Order of Merit in recognition of his service to society as a virtual therapy dog.” Amy Dickin, PDSA Awards and Heritage Manager stated.
Watch the incredible story of Max from PDSA here:
You can follow Kerry and Max, as well as Max’s brothers Paddy and Harry on his Facebook page, Max out in the Lake District.
Here are some lovely photos of Max, Paddy, and Harry:
Thanks to Good News Shared and BBC News for this story and pictures.
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