Category: Police/Firehouse

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On His First Walk After A Major Surgery, Retired K9 Dog Locates And Rescues Missing Man

Retirement didn’t stop a retired police dog after it located and rescued a missing person in East Sussex, England on his first ever walk since having major surgery.

The German Shepherd, named Bear, reportedly found the man in the forest on November 28 while being walked by owner, Julia Pope, a former police officer, The Guardian reveals.

What made the rescue special was that Bear, who was on his first ever walk two weeks after getting surgery to remove two benign tumors, was also celebrating his 12th birthday on the same day!

But such celebration did not stop Bear from locating and alerting his owner to a man in “dense undergrowth” while on their walk.

The Thin Blue Paw Foundation, a national charity that supports serving and retired police dogs across the UK, reveals on a Facebook post, “Unbeknownst to RPD Bear, the man was a vulnerable missing person who officers had been searching for without success.”

Pope tells The Guardian that Bear immediately “went into work mode” after it sensed the lost individual.

Recalling the incident, Pope explains, “[He] then dragged us to it, where he located and alerted us to a vulnerable man. I’m not sure he would have survived the night as it was extremely cold and almost dark at that point with no one else in the vicinity.”

The dog owner adds that Bear lead the way and helped the man back to an area where he could coordinate with local officers and reunite with his loved ones.

Pope describes the whole encounter as an “amazing stroke of luck”.

“RPD Bear, you’re a true hero, showing us that even in retirement, you can still save lives,” the Thin Blue Paw Foundation wrote.

Bear served with Sussex Police Dog Unit for seven years and was adopted by Pope in 2020 after his retirement.

In 2023, the retired police dog had to get emergency surgery due to having four herniated discs in his back, which caused him collapse. For this, he was supported by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation.

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The 2nd Annual First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award Is Here, And It’s Full Of Paw-mazing Contestants!

FHE Health announces the nominees for their annual First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award and the list is nothing short of paw-mazing furry friends!

FHE Health, a national behavioral health provider, has created the nationwide contest to “showcase therapy dogs everywhere in the many roles they fill, while also shining the spotlight on therapy dogs that assist first responders—and the critical need for more such dogs, both in South Florida and in communities across the U.S.”

Furthermore, the First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award is also FHE Health’s way to advocate the need for more therapy dogs for first responders across the country.

And for this year’s First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award, the list of nominees is full of good boys and girls! Some of the most notable nominees include:

  1. Deputy Dally of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. He is a 7-year-old GoldenDoodle who has been working as a Therapy K9 for 4.5 years. His most notable case involved the kidnapping of two young kids, after the vehicle the kids were in was apprehended, Deputy Dally provided much needed comfort to the kids until their mother arrived.
  2. Willowbrook if the LA County Sheriff’s Department. This little fella is proof that even the little dogs can make big impacts in their community. Willowbrook has been rescued from a backyard breeder and survived parvo. At 5.5 pounds, he has visited 6,000 sworn personnel and 8,000 civilian personnel in L.A. County.
  3. Raven of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. On his first day of work, he helped de-escalate a situation involving a man who wanted to take his own life. Thanks to Raven’s encouragement, the man was able to peacefully surrender. Way to make a great first impression on your first day at work!
  4. Lacy of the 911 Call Center in Austin, Texas. Lacy walks the aisles of the call center to support Fire, Police, and Sheriff’s Department. But Lacy’s most notable work was when she provided comfort at Uvalde Memorial Hospital after the horrific school shooting.
  5. Murphy of the Terrie Hess Child Advocacy Center. Murphy is as busy as a bee, but the work she does make a difference in the lives she touches. She supports victims of child abuse and first responders who investigate and prosecute these cases. She also supports first responders and the youth as a volunteer at Canine Caregivers Therapy Dogs.

The First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award has a total of 29 nominees and the Top 10 finalists will be chosen through public voting, which is now open until December 04.

According to FHE Health, “The finalists and first-place winner will be chosen by a small committee with representatives from FHE Health and FHE Health’s partner organization First Responders Pack Foundation.”

And the winner of the national award will receive the following prize:

  • Gift Basket From Chewy.com
  • $2,000 check in support of their work
  • Free national publicity, including a feature blog that reaches more than 100,000 people on social media and a press release announcing the news
  • A “Top Paws Therapy Dog Award” badge for placement on their website or blog in recognition of their status as one of 10 finalists
  • A $2,500 donation made in their honor by FHE Health to our partner organization First Responders Pack Foundation, which exists to train more therapy dogs for first responders

Last year, the winner of the First Responder Paws Therapy Dog Award was a two-and-a-half-year-old mutt named “Sergeant Bo”.

He went from being a stray roaming the streets of Florida’s Indialantic Beach to providing much-needed comfort and security to the Covenant School Shooting victims in his first three months as a therapy dog.

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Police Dog Who Helped Track A Child Taken At Knifepoint Wins The 2024 American Humane Hero Dog Award

From helping locate an elderly dementia patient to finding a seven-year-old child taken at knifepoint, K9 Bo proves that he is worthy of this year’s “American Hero Dog” title.

On November 08, the American Humane announced police dog Bo as the winner of the 14th annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards.

Dr. Robin Ganzert, President and CEO of American Humane said, “We are so excited to name Bo as American Humane’s latest Hero Dog, a distinction that is well-deserved for him and his handler David.”

“In a short time, Bo and David have done extraordinary work. As members of the Gastonia Police Department, the duo has worked tirelessly and saved many lives thanks to Bo’s courage and top-notch scent tracking skills. It’s these types of incredible stories about perseverance and dedication that this award aims to spotlight.”

According to the American Humane Hero Dog Awards website, K9 Bo is a 17-month-old Bloodhound with the Gastonia Police Department.

He has began his incredible journey with the Police Department in April 2023. And he underwent rigorous training before he began working as a police dog in October 2023.

After he began his career, K9 Bo quickly proved that his skills were invaluable when he located an elderly dementia patient and an 11-year-old autistic child who had gone missing.

K9 Bo 2024 American Hero Dog Winner
Photo Credit: herodogawards.org

“On a particularly cold January night in 2024, Bo showcased his extraordinary abilities by tracking a missing elderly patient over miles and through harsh conditions, ultimately finding them safe,” the American Humane reveals.

Time and time again, Bo proves that he has extraordinary skills and despite heavy scent contamination, he can still track down robbery suspects.

And while those were amazing achievements, those were not Bo’s most notable cases. The American Humane shares Bo’s “most touching moment” came in May of this year when he tracked and found a seven-year-old child who had been taken at knifepoint.

The American Humane Hero Dog Awards website wrote, “Bo’s incredible work continues to bring joy and hope, making him a true hero and an inspiring presence in the Gastonia Police Department.”

The American Humane Hero Dog Awards is an annual nationwide competition that searches for and recognizes America’s Hero dogs in five categories: Therapy Dogs; Service and Guide Dogs; Military Dogs; Law Enforcement and First Responder Dogs; and Shelter Dogs.

After announcing the 25 nominees in September, the competitive public voting began, which helped narrow them to five finalists – one for each category.

The four other finalists include: Dayo (Therapy Dog Category), Sampson (Service and Guide/Hearing Dog Category), K9 Niki (Military Category), Penny (Emerging Hero/Shelter Dog Category).

The American Humane reveals that Bo, along with the other four finalists, will be honored at the 14th Annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards® and Gala in Palm Beach on January 08, 2025.