Page 11 - Alive January 2016 Newsletter Flip Book

“Paolo in action.
THE SAFEST PlACE yOu COulD BE WAS DEFINITEly HOlDING THE RIGHT END OF THE lEAD. I AlWAyS HAD THE CONFIDENCE THAT IF I WAS IN REAl DANGER, AND HE COulD ASSIST, HE WOulD DO EvERyTHING HE COulD TO HElP AND PROTECT ME.
Meanwhile, nine-year-old Paolo is enjoying a more relaxed life at a private retirement home with a big garden. Before spending four years with PC Conneely, he was handled by Sgt Charles Gregory of the Merseyside Police Dog Section where he was bred.
But PC Conneely has nothing but praise for his canine colleague.
“His character was, without doubt, ‘born to be a police dog’. He was a very determined dog, a little difficult at times, but very committed and focussed on his role. His desire to use his nose to track and search for suspects was impressive. The safest place you could be was definitely holding the right end of the lead. I always had the confidence that if I was in real danger, and he could assist, he would do everything he could to help and protect me,” he recalls.
“The way he dealt with this dangerous individual on this occasion demonstrated just that, and is just one example of many excellent arrests he achieved while working for us and the wider public. I knew I was always going to work with a loyal partner I could really rely on; a partner who helped me get some great results over the years and got me home safe many times.
“He really deserves his well-earned retirement, along with all the other dogs that have helped us so much over time. They are great dogs, together with all working dogs that carry out so many varied tasks. Taking a dog to work is a unique role that you also take home with you. It requires commitment but can be extremely rewarding. It’s been a real pleasure to carry out this role within the police service and to have gained such an understanding of how a dog thinks and how you can encourage and utilise their natural talents to assist us. I would imagine for the right dog, it’s a great job too!”
the face of extreme threat to yourself, as well as the actions that led to the arrest, charge and conviction of this individual.”
PC Conneely had faced armed suspects while serving as a firearms officer prior before becoming a dog handler. PC Conneely followed an individual in 2003 who threatened him with a firearm before being
fatally shot by armed officers.
He has recently spent a number of years
in the dog training department of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Police Dog unit and is now operational once again with his recently licensed police dog, Tucker, who he has raised and trained from eight-weeks-old.
The young police dog trainees are encouraged to experience as much as they can in their early months; here Tucker meets water for the first time.
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Photograph courtesy of Steward Ellett: stewardellettphotography.co.uk.
Photo courtesy of Anderson Photography