Phoebe the Dalmatian is Service Dog of the Year

MARTIN DE RUYTER/ the Nelson Mail

SPOT ON: Steph Loader with her dog Phoebe and other members of her Dalmatian family. Phoebe is wearing a sash from winning a community service award.

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Phoebe the Dalmatian has a heart of gold.

The 11-year-old Nelson pooch has a long list of community-based roles, and no matter what, is always kind, calm and loving.

Phoebe is used to educate children, teach dogs better manners, ease people's dog fears, socialise old dogs and comfort the lonely.

Now, the pooch has been awarded the Service Dog of the Year award at the National Dog Show. The 11-year-old, who loves her food and sleeps on her owner's bed, got on an aircraft for the first time last weekend. Along with her owner, Steph Loader, a Halifax Veterinary Centre canine behaviourist, she flew to Feilding to receive the award, which included a "beautiful" sash and a year's supply of dog food. "After all the things she has done in Nelson, it was really nice for her to be recognised," Ms Loader said.

Phoebe's down-to-earth personality could be put down to having good dog parents and being trained properly, Ms Loader said.

"She is calm and amazingly chilled out. She thinks about her stomach a lot. She is really kind – you could do anything and she would never bite.

"She has had a varied and long career in the community."

If she were a human, Phoebe would be a counsellor or nurse and have the qualities of Mother Teresa, Ms Loader said.

Phoebe goes with her adoring owner everywhere and is her right-hand dog at work, helping to teach aggressive dogs to behave. She can also be found at local kindergartens and preschools and, recently, an autistic girl who was terrified of dogs ended up leading her around an obstacle course. Ms Loader also teaches animal care at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, where she demonstrates dog care with Phoebe. And if she didn't have a hectic enough schedule already, Phoebe is also part of the Canine Friends Therapy Dog Group.

A Murchison search and rescue dog was also honoured at the show, winning the Life Saving Dog of the Year award. Mishka, a german shepherd, has helped save several people during her nine-year career and has taken part in many searches with Land Search and Rescue.