By Ex-Humberside Police pup receives donation for lifesaving treatment
A former Humberside Police sniffer dog has received a donation for lifesaving treatment.
10-year-old Bailey, a springer spaniel, worked as a drugs, cash, and weapons detection dog for Humberside Police for more than eight years.
Bailey joined the force at 14 months old and was partnered up with PC Chris Wright after his previous handler retired in 2015.
Chris and Bailey had enjoyed numerous successful police searches over the years, such as a huge drugs bust after Bailey helped to detect a drug dealing ring in a shop near Hull. The canine sniffed out around 1.5kg of cocaine.
Chris, who is from Grimsby, was forced to leave the dog section due to health concerns.
However, he was able to take Bailey, and his general purpose dog Pedro, with him as he retired as adopted pets.
“I’d worked in the dog section for 20 years and had many dogs but Bailey was brilliant. He never let me down”, said Chris.
“Bailey is a typical springer – he’s mad! He never runs out of energy, never stops looking or searching, and that makes him great at his job. Really, he does it all for the love of his tennis ball”, he added.
After police dogs retire from serving, they receive no financial assistance from the force. Acquiring insurance can also be tough given the difficult lives some have experienced.
Chris soon realised this could be an issue, so he registered Bailey and Pedro to the Thin Blue Paw Foundation, a welfare charity that supports former police dogs.
The foundation provides financial assistance to owners to ensure they can pay for veterinary treatment.
Last month, Chris found his beloved Bailey collapsed and surrounded by diarrhoea and vomit in his kennel. Chris rushed Bailey straight to the vets.
After arriving, Bailey was diagnosed with Cushings disease, which is caused by a hormonal imbalance.
Chris was then faced with a £1,500 treatment bill, which will be covered by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation.
Bailey will now need lifelong treatment to manage his disease which the foundation will support him with, as Chris provides his canine companion with the best quality of life.
Thin Blue Paw trustee, Dave Wardell said:
“Poor Bailey was on the brink of death and needed costly but life-saving emergency treatment to nurse him back to health”
“This is a traumatic situation for any dog owner to find themselves in; but the adopters of retired police dogs not only have to make difficult decisions with the best interests of their pet in mind, but also with their finances in mind”, he added
“While those of us with pet dogs can take our insurance policies to help us should the worst happen and our beloved dog need life-saving treatment; it’s almost impossible to insure retired police dogs due to the strenuous working lives they’ve led”
“We founded the charity because we wanted to ensure that no owners, like Chris, would be in a position where they’d have to choose between putting food on the table and paying their bills, or paying for treatment for their dog”
“These dogs are unsung heroes who have dedicated their lives to fighting crime, bringing criminals to justice, and keeping the public safe. The least they, and their owners, deserve is a happy and healthy retirement”
(Image: Thin Blue Paw Foundation)
