Welcome to JUNE ! Our Calendar Dog is RPD Ted essexretiredpolicedogs.co.uk…

How it started 2012 - How its going 2026 Over £126k paid to RPDs vet & welfare costs. Thank You for ALL Your Support 🐾💙🐾 essexretiredpolicedogs.co.uk…

We have some sad news. But this is Mike’s story - and we share it with you here: ‘It is with heavy hearts we had to say a final farewell to our amazing RPD Blade on 22nd May 2026, at the grand old age of 12 1/2.   Blade came to me as an 11 month, long-haired pup with a beautiful coat & innocent eyes, but I was warned Blade was extremely stubborn & would be a challenge.    Well, we certainly hit the ground running &, much like all GP Initials, it was a ride!   Blade was definitely stubborn - but during his 8 years of service to @PoliceDogDorset as a GP/FSD dog, he grew immensely in confidence & was an incredibly successful @dorsetpolice dog, especially with his tracking ability, bagging multiple suspects over the years.   Blade was received several Divisional Commanders awards locating high risk missing people, as well as tracking & locating suspects from burglary scenes & vehicle decamps.   A story that always makes me laugh. We were deployed to a serious assault in Weymouth. The town CCTV operator followed the suspect on camera, who was running down one of the streets.    I deployed Blade from the van & waited for the suspect, who was heading in my direction. As he approached, I broke cover with Blade & the suspect tried to change direction. Unfortunately, the street was wet, & he slipped, skidding straight past us before coming to rest a short distance away.     Without hesitation, Blade lunged forward, & I noticed he had a baseball cap in his mouth & was shaking it rigorously from side to side. He spat it out & then continuously barked at the suspect who threw himself onto his back & shouted, "IM SO SORRY, I GIVE UP, PLEASE CAN I HAVE MY CAP BACK".   I later saw the CCTV footage which showed Blade grabbing the suspects Cap from his head as he slid past us. It was a close call!   Another memory that will stay with me was when I was asked to visit a dementia home with Blade.   I was initially reluctant, as Blade was extremely vocal & fiercely protective of me. To keep him calm & quiet, I took him into the home carrying his Kong toy. Blade was incredibly possessive over his toy & never liked giving it up. However, what happened inside the home was remarkable.   He gently placed his toy onto a gentleman's lap, stepped back, & simply waited. Expecting Blade to lunge forward to reclaim his toy, I instinctively held him back. Instead, Blade calmly & gently took the toy back before placing it down again, it was incredible to see.   As we were preparing to leave, a staff member asked whether I could take Blade into a residents room because she was bed ridden but had kept German Shepherd dogs all her life prior to becoming unwell, & would love to see him.   The elderly lady was sitting up in bed when we entered the room, but she became overwhelmed with emotion when she saw Blade. He immediately jumped onto the bed beside her & happily played with his toy while she stroked him. I was astounded by how gentle & caring he had been throughout the visit, which just goes to show these dogs are truly amazing animals.   However, the moment we left the home & returned to the van, he flicked the switch & became PD Blade again!   There are so many wonderful memories this handsome boy gave me during our years working together, but above all else, he was my protector & most loyal companion. In retirement, he was the most affectionate dog to our family and friends - once he had vetted them through the front door first.   I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lady B and everyone involved with the NFRSA for your incredible support, including the financial assistance towards Blade's treatment prior to his passing. You truly made our lives easier knowing you were always there to support us, and we cannot thank you enough for that.   Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.    Blade will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him especially by myself and my family - he has left a huge void in our lives.   Rest in peace Boy. xxx’

BIG SHOUT OUT of Thank You to all our supporters who go the extra mile to help us at events, fundraise, promote, deliver, collect & just do stuff ! We could not help RPDs with YOU xx 🐾💙🐾 essexretiredpolicedogs.co.uk…