Bear’s a heroic ex-police dog whose owner thought that his days of saving people were over. Fortunately, he wouldn’t be able to shake off his police instincts that easily when he found someone who needed help on an afternoon walk.
Enjoying Retirement
Bear retired from the Sussex police four years ago, and since then, he’s been enjoying retirement with his owner, Julia Pope, who is also a retired police officer.
Still Working With Police
Despite being retired, Bear still works closely with the Sussex police as a well-being and trauma support dog for their officers. He’s well-loved by many and has an impressive track record.
Still A Police Dog At Heart
Pope adopted Bear in 2020 after he had already become a retiree, but one day, he would show his owner that he still had his police training when he suddenly dragged her off course.
Health Problems
Bear’s retirement was well-earned and mostly spends his days loafing around, mostly due to health problems. From the long years working with as a police dog, it’s had an impact on Bear’s legs.
Getting Support
Unfortunately, one day, Bear lost the use of his legs because of herniated discs. Thankfully, the Blue Paw Foundation, a charity for ex-police dogs, stepped in and supported him.
A Successful Surgery
Bear was booked for an emergency MRI and later went into surgery after the doctors saw the extent of the damage. Thankfully, the surgery was a huge success, and Bear could walk again.
A Special Walk
Just a month after the surgery’s success, Bear could walk again, and Pope decided to reward him with a well-deserved walk in the Eastbourne area of West Sussex. He also had surgery where two benign tumors were removed just two weeks before the walk.
A Birthday Present
The walk was the first one he would have since the surgery and also doubled as a birthday present as Bear had just turned twelve that day. The German shepherd was going to make his birthday a memorable one with a selfless act.
Sensing Something
The walk started out fine, but without any warning, Bear sensed something that his owner didn’t. Pope said, “This was his first proper walk since his surgery, and we thought it would be a gentle wander, but then it ended up being quite dramatic!”
Work Mode
He ended up dragging her, but Pope knew to trust his instincts. In her words, he went into “work mode.” The German shepherd led his owner to some dense undergrowth, where Pope spotted someone in need of assistance.
Lending A Helping Hand
The evening was going to be when they found the man. Pope said later that she didn’t think he would have survived the night without Bear’s intervention. He was wet and confused. It was clear that he needed some kind of help.
A Missing Person
He couldn’t get up on his own and was later found to be a missing man that police had been searching for. After Bear and Pope found the man, they managed to work with the police to find out where his family was and get them to reunite.
Source:
Police dog recovering from surgery rescues man
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