Three rescue dogs adopted from Dogs Trust rehoming centres have joined the ranks as Police Dogs serving with Nottinghamshire Police.
Dogs Trust staff spotted the incredible potential of Rocket, Dougie and Rocky while they were in the charity’s care. All were intelligent, eager to learn and had a high play drive with a ball.
Newest recruit Police Dog Rocket, a two-year-old Belgian Malinois, has now joined Police Dog Dougie, a black Labrador cross, and Rocky, a Golden Labrador as invaluable members of the Nottinghamshire Police team.
Rocket came into Dogs Trust care in June 2022 as a seven-month-old pup where his potential for crime fighting was spotted by the team at Dogs Trust Ilfracombe. He was adopted in August last year and passed his Police probation with flying colours. During his new role he has proved his exceptional ability to track suspects and last month sniffed out his first criminal suspects who were hiding in a bush within a garden.
Labrador’s Dougie and Rocky were both handed into Dogs Trust Loughborough after their owners could no longer care for them. Two-year-old Dougie was adopted in October 2022. He is now a drugs detection dog and has found drugs during numerous operational deployments. Rocky, also aged two, was adopted in July this year. Recently certified as a drugs, cash and firearms sniffer dog he has already been deployed on warrants and has made a strong start finding hidden drugs on his very first job.
Louise Crawford, Animal Welfare Scheme Coordinator at Dogs Trust said: “The Animal Welfare Scheme has been in place for Police dog units for the past 21 years and Dogs Trust has supported this scheme since its inception.
“We think all of the dogs in our care are stars, but staff working in our rehoming centres are trained to spot dogs with extra special crime fighting potential and we work with Police Forces signed up to the Animal Welfare Scheme to match them and provide ongoing support.
“Rocket, Dougie and Rocky were identified by the staff at our Loughborough and Ilfracombe rehoming centres as being suitable for a working home. I am thrilled that all three dogs have done so well and are fully licensed Police Dogs with Nottinghamshire Police, achieving so much, and reaching their full potential. It’s a wonderful message to promote about rescue dogs and how special they are.”
Chief Inspector Amy English, who is responsible for the dog section at Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Finding good candidates for Police dog training is not easy so we are grateful to the Dogs Trust for putting forward such excellent candidates.
“These dogs may not have had the best start in life, but they have now found a long-term home with us and are absolutely thriving in the care of their expert handlers.
“Training Police dogs is hard work and there is no guarantee that the candidates who come to us will meet the required standards, so it is hugely rewarding for everyone on the team when a new dog like Rocket, Rocky or Dougie repays the faith we put in them and gets their first great result.”
