Category: Dog News

A police dog named Axle has received an award for devotion to duty and bravery after he sustained life-threatening injuries tackling an armed criminal whilst on duty with Derbyshire Police in 2018.

Discussing PD Axel’s award, the PDSA Commendation, his handler PC Dean Allen said, “I couldn’t be prouder of Axle. He is an exceptional Police Dog who has displayed great courage and skill throughout his six years’ of service with Derbyshire Police. I was worried he wouldn’t make it after that night, so to see him not only make a full recovery but return to duty as well shows how special he is. It is a real honour to see him receive this award.”

The Incident

Axle was attending the scene of a domestic disturbance in the village of Riddings, Derbyshire last July. On arrival at the scene, two officers were confronted by 28-year-old Matthew Stretch, who attacked their police car. Stretch smashed the driver’s window and threatened the officers with a knife and hammer.

Back-up officers were summoned and Stretch ran from the scene. Police began a search of the area, conscious that their suspect was armed and dangerous. Resources deployed included a firearms unit, a helicopter and PC Dean Allen with his dog, Axle.

Stretch was eventually located by PC Allen and Axle in nearby woodland next to a disused canal. PC Allen instructed Stretch to stand still or Axle would be deployed. This warning was ignored and Stretch was pursued into the canal. There, PC Allen attempted to detain the suspect but he managed to climb out of the shallow water.

During the struggle, Axle was stabbed three times in his neck and body by Stretch, and he was instrumental in protecting the life PC Allen. Officers armed with baton rounds and a taser subsequently detained Stretch, who was arrested.

Axle was then rushed to a local veterinary surgery where he received emergency treatment for his wounds.

PC Allen said: “It was only we had detained the suspect that we were actually able to see Axel’s stab wounds. The biggest concern was the position of the stab wounds, you don’t know how deep they are, and they were very close to the spine. With the blood vessels running down the spine in German Shepherds it can be life threatening.”

Thanks to what officers describe as his ‘remarkable commitment’, he resumed his police duties with his handler following some rest and recuperation.

No officers were injured during the attack but the incident has had a lasting effect on those involved.

On 8 October 2018, Matthew Stretch was sentenced to six years and seven months in jail for threatening with a blade, two threats to kill and two counts of criminal damage. The trial was told he has 13 previous convictions for 28 offences including robbery and burglary.

Axle, PC Allen and other officers attending the incident have since been commended, in November 2018, for outstanding bravery by The Chief Constable of Derby Constabulary.

A New Law to Help Protect Police Dogs

In June 2019, new legislation was passed giving protection to service dogs such as PD Axle.

“Finn’s Law” is named after a retired police dog named Finn. After he was stabbed whilst pursuing a suspect with his handler PC David Wardell, a campaign began to fight for better rights for police animals injured in the line of duty, effectively giving police and prosecutors the ability to charge criminals injuring police animals in the same way they could/would if a police officer was injured on duty.

A Search and Rescue Dog from Dorset who found a missing 90-year-old dementia patient and helped to convict a murderer has been posthumously awarded the PDSA Order of Merit – known as the animals’ OBE – for his outstanding devotion to duty and service to society.

The Border Collie named Charlie, who passed away in 2017, worked with his owner and volunteer handler Matt Cooke.

Speaking about Charlie’s award Matt said: “Charlie was my boy. My dog of a lifetime. He was a pleasure to train and work alongside, and I am immensely proud of everything he has achieved in his career. For him to receive the PDSA Order of Merit, even after he has left us, is such an incredible honour. I am thrilled to have Zak (pictured below) – his Hampshire Search and Rescue colleague – accept the medal on Charlie’s behalf.”

Charlie’s story

Charlie started training as a Search and Rescue Dog with his owner, volunteer handler Matt Cooke, when he was 14-weeks-old, qualifying in November 2005.

He soon attained the highest level of qualification and subsequently spent ten years in service with Dorset Search Dogs and Lowlands Search and Rescue. In this time he completed hundreds of searches and amassed thousands of search hours.

Charlie was deployed to both domestic and international incidents, helping find missing people in boggy woodland, dense undergrowth, burnt-out buildings and landslide zones.

Renowned for his phenomenal scent detection, Charlie could cover large areas of ground quickly, freeing up valuable Emergency Service resources to deploy elsewhere. As well as locating missing people, Charlie’s work enabled areas to be eliminated from a search, thus narrowing the focus of the Emergency Services. His methodical and reliable approach to searching earned him an enviable reputation within the Search and Rescue community.

In addition to his search duties, Charlie helped recruit and train other dogs to work in specialist taskforces. He also represented Search and Rescue Dogs in the House of Lords, raising awareness around quarantine and pet passports for specialist dogs travelling abroad.

Charlie’s most notable work includes:

Charlie located an elderly and vulnerable lady who had been missing for 14 hours in freezing temperatures. Police and ambulance services reported that had Charlie not found her when he did, she wouldn’t have survived.

In May 2008, Charlie located a murder victim buried in a large field, leading to a conviction.

Also in May 2008, Charlie located a missing 90-year-old dementia patient who had become disorientated and bogged down in mud.

In February 2009, Charlie and Matt were sent to Ascension Island in the Southern Atlantic, to help search for a missing woman. Charlie, along with two Thames Valley Blood Detection dogs, searched the entire island in brutal conditions and terrain. Such was Charlie’s reputation, the fact that no one was located gave closure to the search. Clearing a search space in this way is often as important as making a positive find.

Charlie was called to search a fire-damaged squat for fatalities. One homeless man was known to have lost his life in the blaze, which took 50 firefighters and 13 engines to put out. Charlie’s skills were called upon to ensure that there were no other fatalities in the building, which became structurally unsound. His subsequent search enabled the building to be cleared for demolition.

Charlie retired at the end of 2015, enjoying a full and happy retirement until he passed away in December 2017. He is 32nd recipient of the award since its institution in 2014.

A new study has discovered that pets can reduce feelings of depression and loneliness in older adults after divorce or a spouse dies.

Now, at first glance, this might not sound like groundbreaking stuff to pet owners who know the many benefits of being a pet parent, but the findings could lead to something very interesting for older people, such as grandparents, at a time when loneliness is much talked about, so let’s explore the study.

The study, led by Florida State University researchers, examined depressive symptoms and loneliness among people aged 50 and older who experienced the loss of a spouse through death or divorce.

Dawn Carr, lead author and FSU associate professor of sociology said:

“Increasingly, there’s evidence that our social support networks are really beneficial for maintaining our mental health following stressful events, despite the devastation we experience in later life when we experience major social losses.”

She continued, “I was interested in understanding alternatives to human networks for buffering the psychological consequences of spousal loss.”

The study unfolded

Researchers compared the data of older adults who participated in an experimental survey about human animal interaction as part of the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study in 2012. They then linked the data with additional data collected between 2008 and 2014.

The researchers explored whether the effects of spousal loss differed for those who had a pet at the time of the death or divorce.

They found all individuals who lost their spouse experienced higher levels of depression, but non-pet owners experienced more significant increases in depressive symptoms and higher loneliness than pet owners.

Instead, researchers discovered that people who own pets (a dog or cat) and had experienced the death of a spouse or had gotten divorced were no lonelier than older adults who didn’t experience one of those events.

On this point, Carr said this was an important and impressive finding to note.

“Experiencing some depression after a loss is normal, but we usually are able to adjust over time to these losses. Persistent loneliness, on the other hand, is associated with greater incidents of mortality and faster onset of disability, which means it’s especially bad for your health. Our findings suggest that pets could help individuals avoid the negative consequences of loneliness after a loss.

“In everyday life, having a cat or dog may not make you healthier, but when facing a stressful event, we might lean on a pet for support. You can talk to your dog. They’re not going to tell you you’re a bad person, they’re just going to love you. Or you can pet your cat, and it’s calming.”

What the study tells us

Researchers behind this study believe pets may make these particular stressful life events more bearable because people feel like they still matter to someone else.

“Oftentimes, the relationship we have with our spouse is our most intimate, where our sense of self is really embedded in that relationship,” Carr said. “So, losing that sense of purpose and meaning in our lives that comes from that relationship can be really devastating. A pet might help offset some of those feelings. It makes sense to think, ‘Well at least this pet still needs me. I can take care of it. I can love it and it appreciates me.’ That ability to give back and give love is really pretty powerful.”

So, what does this mean?

Well, it could give residential homes pause for thought on social policies around companion animals being able to move with their owners into residential accommodation and retirement homes. This could dramatically ease loneliness.

Twenty eight years ago, Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 which includes Section 1, the prohibition of four types of dogs considered ‘dangerous’ due to their appearance, was introduced into UK legislation. As a result, thousands of dogs have lost their lives based on how they look rather than act.

As we mark the anniversary of the introduction of the law, animal welfare organisation, the RSPCA, are calling on the UK Government to review the Dangerous Dogs Act, while releasing a series of images in memory of five of the dogs who have lost their lives due to this unjust law, which judges dogs predominantly on their appearance.

Dr Samantha Gaines, an RSPCA dog welfare expert and lead author of the Breed Specific Legislation: A Dog’s Dinner report, said: “The law is letting down dogs who look a certain way, who have specific measurements, or who tick an unfortunate number of boxes on a list. This is unfair, unjust and wrong.

“The Dangerous Dogs Act was a knee-jerk piece of legislation, introduced in response to a series of high profile dog attacks. But in the 28 years since its inception, hospital admissions due to dog bites have continued to rise, tragic fatalities as a result of dog incidents have continued, and thousands of dogs have needlessly lost their lives.

“It’s high time the UK Government respond to the scientific research, follow in the footsteps of other nations around the world who have repealed BSL and do, not just what is right for dogs, but for public safety and ensure both are better protected.”

Breed specific legislation – or BSL – prohibits the owning, breeding, selling, advertising or rehoming of four types of dogs: Pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, Fila Brasiliero and Dogo Argentino. All four types of dogs were traditionally bred for fighting but there is no robust scientific evidence to suggest that any pose greater risk of being aggressive or causing more damage should they bite.

In the UK, any dog suspected of being a prohibited type will be assessed by a police dog legislation officer and compared with a breed standard. Depending on how closely the dog matches the standard they could be identified as being of type. Their parentage and genetics will not be considered as part of the assessment. For some dogs, being identified as a prohibited type means living with lifelong restrictions but for others, the way they look is a death sentence.

In 2018, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Select Committee launched an inquiry into the legislation and recommended that the Government urgently review the law, particularly around Section 1.

The legislation makes it illegal to rehome or give away any dogs that have been identified as a prohibited type which means it is illegal for the RSPCA to find new homes for these dogs even if they would otherwise be considered ideal for rehoming with a family. This means that legally we are forced to put them to sleep which is extremely distressing for our staff and volunteers who form close bonds with these dogs.

This week, the charity is profiling five dogs who were all euthanised due to BSL:

Diesel was rescued by the RSPCA in 2017 and staff loved his playful side. A staff member who cared for him said: “Diesel loved playing fetch.”

Cookie was taken in by the charity in 2018. She was described as “loving and playful” by those who looked after her.

Jasper and Jet were rescued in a dog fighting operation in 2016. RSPCA staff who rehabilitated them said: “Jasper loved a fuss and Jet’s favourite time of day was walkies.”

Rocky arrived in RSPCA care in 2018. Staff fell in love with him as he was described as the “friendliest dog on the block”.

Dr Gaines added: “Defra has commissioned research by Middlesex University and we’re awaiting the results. We hope that this will show once and for all that BSL has no scientific basis, is ineffective and needs urgent repeal.

“Breed or type is not a good predictor of risk. Whether a dog chooses to use aggression is extremely complex and depends on their breeding, rearing and early-life experiences.

“Unfortunately BSL can mislead people to believe that some breeds of dogs are safe when any dog has the potential to bite – and that’s why it’s so important that adults and children know how to interact safely with dogs and what warning signs to look out for that suggest a dog is uncomfortable. It’s also incredibly important that dog owners are responsible with their pets, keep them under control in public places and speak to a vet or clinical animal behaviourist if they show any concerning behaviour.

“BSL fails to protect public safety and seriously compromises dog welfare. We’re calling for the general public to help us stand up and speak up for these dogs.”

Meet Romeo, a seven-year-old hero Staffy who has saved more than 30 dogs’ lives with blood donations and is a regular visitor to a hospital and care homes as a therapy dog.

A friendly and happy dog, in his role as a Pets As Therapy dog, he visits patients at the Lister Hospital in the stroke ward as well as popping into a care home where he brings some much-needed joy to everyone he meets.

Like other therapy dogs, Romeo helps to comfort the people he meets who may have owned dogs in the past and are no longer able to get out to see animals.

Romeo and his owner Steph meeting Kate Lawler and John Bishop at the RSPCA Awards

He is also a blood donor for the Royal Veterinary College and has so far saved 38 dogs’ lives through his vital donations.

As a result of his life-saving work, Romeo was presented with the Service Animal Award at the RSPCA Honours, presented to him and his owner by animal lover and TOWIE star, Pete Wicks.

His owner, Steph Hartley said, “I’m so proud of him for winning and I’m proud of him all the time. I think it’s wonderful and so nice for him to get recognition for what he does and how special he is as he’s such an amazing dog.”

Steph explained that when she first got Romeo, at just five months old, he was a typical, excitable puppy.

She said: “I was living with my parents at the time and their two miniature dachshunds. My nan moved into assisted living and was coming round to our house a lot and I was worried he would jump all over her as he’d be really excited but he didn’t. He’d be running around like crazy just a minute before and then when she arrived he very calmly and gently laid next to her, making sure he wouldn’t knock into her. He was always like that with my nan, it was like he just knew he had to act a different way around her which made me think he would make an amazing PAT dog.

“When my parents’ dachshund Shadow was diagnosed with lymphoma and was receiving chemo at RVC I would take Romeo along to the vet appointments to keep Shadow company and get Romeo used to being at the vets. He was so good at the vets and the nurses said they were in desperate need of blood donors and asked if we would consider it when Romeo was old enough. I had never really thought about pet blood donation before but of course they need blood just like we give blood so when he weighed enough, I took him and he absolutely loved it.

Steph added: “Romeo is a staffie and for some people that comes with some misconceptions about the breed but he is the biggest baby, he weighs 28kgs and he still wants to sit on my lap. He’s the sweetest, loveliest dog, and it’s really nice to show just how wonderful staffies are and that the bad press they sometimes get really isn’t fair.”