Abandoned Puppies Successfully Qualify as Police Dogs

A trio of abandoned puppies have transitioned from being strays to becoming police dogs in just over a year. These three canines, aged between 14 and 18 months, have all successfully completed a 10-week intensive training course conducted by Durham Constabulary. The police force’s dog support unit took them in, and they have now passed their final assessments to be officially registered as police dogs. Two of the dogs are of the Belgian Malinois breed, also known as Belgian Shepherd, while the third is an Alsatian. Eighteen-month-old Jasper, described as “an extra special Malinois,” was discovered abandoned in a sweltering greenhouse at only seven weeks old last summer. The woman who found Jasper in Manchester recognized certain hidden talents that suggested he could be a potential police dog and subsequently gave the animal to the puppy development programme in April. Still in his adolescent or teenage years, Jasper is being teamed up with PC Dan Cuthbertson to specialize in general purpose policing. Fellow Belgian Malinois Axel was “found in a sad situation,” according to a police spokesman. Axel was abandoned at 12 weeks old in a cardboard box outside a Salvation Army shop in Darlington, County Durham. After being taken to the vets and adopted, Axel’s owner, Chris, discovered him to be “full of mischief and having a strong character.” Through the Durham Police Dog Support Unit, Axel was accepted into the puppy development programme. The 14-month-old canine has joined forces with PC Paul Cooper, becoming the force’s youngest licensed police dog. Meanwhile, Dutch, an Alsatian—otherwise known as a German Shepherd and blonde compared to the Malinois’ coloring—was given to officers two months ago. He will now serve with handler PC Laura Linskey to hunt out suspects and search for missing people. A police spokesperson stated: “All three hit the ground running, jumping straight into the ten-week intensive training course.” The spokesperson added, “This week they became officially registered police dogs, passing their final assessments with flying colours, and we wish them the very best.” For updates, follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.