Police dog nicknamed The Bear 'puts up his paws'

PD Olly, nicknamed "The Bear" because of his size, is retiring after seven years with Northamptonshire Police

A police dog credited with 180 arrests has retired from duty after seven years of service.

PD Olly, an eight-and-a-half-year-old German Shepherd, has served alongside his handler, PC Samantha Clark, with Northamptonshire Police since August 2017.

During his career, Olly has not only helped in numerous arrests, but has also found 24 missing people. In 2020, he saved a seriously injured man who had collapsed in dense undergrowth.

PC Clark said Olly was "born to be a police dog" and the pair had been on "one hell of a journey together".

'Put his paws up'

PD Olly, who was born into a police dog breeding program, first met PC Clark in May 2017, when they began a 13-week general purpose police dog course.

They earned their license that August, and in 2018 became a firearms support dog team.

Within weeks, Olly made his first arrest, and quickly earned the nickname "The Bear" for his imposing size.

As Olly begins his retirement, he will stay with PC Clark and her four other dogs.

She said: "I’m happy for Olly to retire in good health after giving eight-and-a-half years of service to Northamptonshire.

"He deserves to put his paws up and enjoy his senior years as a pet dog."