Police Dog Blue’s ‘exceptional work’ commended

Police Dog Blue from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire (BCH) Dog Unit has been formally honoured for his ‘exceptional work’. The PDSA Commendation was presented to Police Dog Blue and his handler earlier this month (July) by Chief Superintendent Melanie Dales of the Joint Protective Services. The award came about after the German Shepherd and his handler were called to Croxley Green, Hertfordshire at the end of last year (2016). At around 6pm on Saturday, December 10 the ambulance service received a call from a man in his 40s who was suffering an asthma attack. He had collapsed in the woods off Rousebarn Lane. Unfortunately the man’s phone’s battery failed and his exact location was unknown. A number of officers were deployed to the area in an effort to try and find the man, including the duo from the BCH Dog Unit. Blue was used to search the area and at just after 7pm his highly trained nose led his handler to the man. He was cold and lying in dense woodland about 15 metres from the nearest path. The man was immediately given first aid, before the ambulance crew were directed to him. He was then taken to hospital for treatment. Thankfully, he made a full recovery. Chief Supt. Dales said: “I was delighted to present the PDSA Commendation to PD Blue and his handler. They richly deserve the award. “Thanks to their actions the man was found quickly. If it was not for their assistance the incident may have had a very different outcome. “All of the BCH Dog Unit’s handlers and dogs are trained for these type of tasks and this is yet another great example of how the team regularly assists colleagues around the three counties at a variety of incidents.” Leading veterinary charity PDSA runs the world’s most distinguished Animal Awards Programme. The charity has been recognising and honouring the role of animals in society since its founder, Maria Dickin, presented the first ever PDSA Medal in 1943. Gill Hubbard, Awards and Heritage Manager at PDSA said: “We are thrilled to award Police Dog Blue with the PDSA Commendation.  The award recognises acts of animal devotion or bravery. Blue is a very worthy recipient and joins an honored list of recipients which includes service dogs, family pets and trained assistance dogs.” To find out more about PDSA’s Animal Awards Programme please visit www.pdsa.org.uk/medals