Abandoned puppy becomes a crime-fighting police K-9
(Sussex Police)
SUSSEX, England - A puppy that had a rough start to life is now thriving as a police K-9 in Sussex.
K-9 Badger was one of four 6-week-old puppies that were found abandoned in a garden in Redhill, Surrey, Sussex police said. All of the puppies were suffering from medical issues and were rescued by the RSPCA.
"They were almost bald due to severe mange, had chronic eye and ear infections, and were extremely malnourished and underweight," police said.
After being treated, three of the puppies found loving families. However, Badger had trouble adjusting.
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Jo Douglas, who helped to care for the puppies, said he was "always on the go and needed constant stimulation and he was just too much for his adopters so he came back to us. We kept him busy by hiding tennis balls around the centres and playing scent games with him. He absolutely loved it – and was really good at following his nose and finding them so we contacted the police to see if they’d be interested in taking him on as a new recruit!"
Badger was paired up with an officer Steph Barrett, who said, "I could tell he was a bit high-spirited, but through a lot of love and training, he has regained trust in humans and become a real success story. He’s still very mischievous at times, but that’s all part of the challenge!"
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Badger has been working as a police K-9 for 6 months and is trained to search for drugs, cash and weapons.
"When he hears the radio go off he squeals with excitement and I don’t even have to ask him to get in the van. He’s a joy to work with."