Award for police dog who had to retire through injury

A former West Midlands Police dog, forced into retirement through injury, is to get a lifetime achievement award from a charity that supports retired police dogs.

Captain is being recognised by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation, four years after leaving the force.

The German Shepherd ruptured a cruciate ligament in 2021, which saw an end to his career and then went on to have major spinal surgery, which cost £30,000.

Kieran Stanbridge, who founded the charity in 2020, said "His resilience as a serving dog and in retirement is why he's being celebrated this year as our Lifetime Achievement winner."

The annual awards, now in their sixth year, recognise former police dogs for the work they did while on duty and what they mean to their former handlers and owners in retirement.

"Dogs are on this planet for a very short time and it's only right they're celebrated for the work they do for us they don't get paid like a police officer, so we think that these awards are a great way to shine a spotlight on these incredible animals" said Stanbridge.

Captain retired in 2022, but then faced a potentially life-limiting condition.

"A couple of years after his retirement, he had a degenerative spinal condition, so we're delighted, as a charity, to have funded £30,000 of vet care to re-construct his spine to get him back walking again in retirement," Stanbridge added.

Since its foundation in 2020, Thin Blue Paws has supported more than 220 former police dogs and covered veterinary care costing more than £460,000.

Captain's owner PC Marcus Cottrell also handled him during his police career and has been at his side through the treatment, including sleeping on the sofa to keep him company as he recovers.

The pair qualified in 2018 and won the police chief's certificate of achievement.

Cottrell, from Solihull, said after his treatment: "Captain is fearsome but also extremely sociable.

"He detained countless criminals - including a suspect who'd stabbed two people - and used his nose to find people on the run, as well as weapons used in incidents.

"Captain is so special, he's my best mate and is always with me. He was my partner at work and now he's my partner in retirement."

There are more than 2,500 police dogs working at police forces across the UK, ranging from general purpose dogs that sniff and track down criminals, to specialist forensic search animals, trained to find cash, drugs and firearms.

Stanbridge said the awards not only mark the work the animals do every day, but is also a reminder that once they leave active duty, there is no pension plan and those that require medical care have to have it covered by their owner.

"Ultimately, these dogs are serving their country every day for as little as a pat on the head. And then when they do have these complex medical conditions as a result of their surgery, and Captain is a prime example of that, over £30,000 was needed to get him back on his paws.

"Handlers were being left in situations where they have to either remortgage their house, or they'd have to say goodbye to their best friend prematurely because they weren't able to afford that vet care."

Captain is not the only dog being told he's a good boy and getting acknowledgement at the charity's annual awards.

The others include:

• Boss from Kent Police, who helped arrest more than 150 suspects during his career
• Jasper, a victim recovery dog from Cleveland Police, trained to find deceased people and help their relatives find closure
• Frankie, a Surrey Police dog, recognised after confronting a violent offender who was carrying a knife

"Why shouldn't they be given the very best retirement to lounge on the sofa, run around green space and enjoy what life is meant for them because they've ultimately spent the majority of their life on operational shifts?

"We, as a charity, make sure that no retired police dog is in a situation where it's choosing between life and death. And it's the cost of care being the decision maker because actually, they have given so much to protect communities across the UK" said Stanbridge.

The awards take place on Tuesday at the Royal Kennel Club in London.

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