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Police Nomination for
Guide Dogs Annual Awards
A Merseyside Police Labrador has
donned a black tie, to attend a glamorous ceremony, in London on Wednesday,
9 December 2015. Champ, a 4 year old golden Labrador Retriever cross, went
through rigorous training to become a guide dog in 2013, only to fail at the
final hurdle because he was a little too easily distracted. But after
Guide Dogs Liverpool realised his potential for a career change, he has
since proved himself as an excellent police dog, sniffing out drugs,
firearms and cash. He travelled to the prestigious Guide Dogs Annual Awards
with handler Constable Steve Adams and Sergeant Paul Makin. As a result of
their work, the officers and Champ were shortlisted for the Collaboration
Award in the Guide Dogs Annual Awards 2015. They joined a host of stars at
the glittering awards ceremony at the London Hilton on Park Lane yesterday,
hosted by North West comedian Dave Spikey.
Dog Section Sergeant Paul Makin said:-
"To be shortlisted for such a prestigious award is an absolute honour and
reflects the hard work of many people in Merseyside Police who, by working
alongside the charity Guide Dogs, have ensured that the people who really
matter are provided with a service that gives them a quality of life they
deserve."
Champ's handler Constable Steve Adams, from the Dogs and Mounted Section at
Merseyside Police, said:- "It was great to see the work of the Dog
Section recognised at the awards ceremony, and the sight of Champ in a black
tie certainly caught a lot of people eyes! Champ has proved a real asset to
the department and in two years of service has made some really significant
finds, including large drug hauls, huge quantities of ill gotten cash and
firearms. Criminals have found lots of different ways of trying to conceal
drugs, but if there's something there, Champ will find it. You can't beat a
dog's nose."
Paul, Steve and Champ were chosen by a panel of 3 expert judges from the
dozens of entries for the Collaboration Award, which celebrates the work
being done by an individual, company or other organisation that has worked
successfully in partnership with Guide Dogs, making a valuable contribution
towards improving the lives of people with sight loss.
Merseyside Police were nominated by the Guide Dogs Liverpool team for the
work that the Dog Section have done on the issue of attacks on guide dogs.
When Liverpool guide dog owner, Rose reported an attack to Merseyside
Police, the force used new legal powers to prosecute the owner of the dog
that attacked her dog, Ushi. Attacks on assistance dogs such as guide dogs
were recognised in legislation introduced a year ago which means owners of
dogs who attack assistance dogs are now subject to a maximum sentence of
three years in prison. Officers helped Rose use the media to appeal for
witnesses, and the people who came forward as a result were crucial in
enabling the Police to identify the attacking dog's owner and secure a
prosecution. After the attack, dog section officers Paul Makin and Steve
Adams worked with the charity Guide Dogs to make a training video, which
features interviews with three guide dogs owners who've been victims of such
attacks to raise awareness of the seriousness of such attacks and of the new
legislation.
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