Police dog reunited with handler in retirement

PC Tune stands to the left of the picture and Phil is on the right. It is raining and they both wear black jackets. The boot of a bright green/yellow car is up and Quinta stands in the back. PC Tune holds her red lead.Humberside Police

PC Mick Tune (left) said he and PC Phil Lusby had been "fortunate" to be her handlers

Emma Petrie
BBC News

A police dog who once took down a machete-wielding man in Scunthorpe is set to enjoy retirement with her former handler.

Quinta, who officers described as a "sniffing super-hound", has worked in Humberside Police's dog section for eight years.

The dog used to live with her first handler, PC Mick Tune, before he took early retirement to spend time with his wife who had been diagnosed with cancer.

The force said the crime-fighting pair had been reunited and Quinta would now lead "a life of luxury for the rest of her days".

Quinta sits on a platform so is at the same level as her handler. There are five trophies and a certificate in front of her. She holds her head up high with her ears held back. PC Lusby holds her lead and stands on the left of the picture. He is dressed in black and wears a police cap.Humberside Police

Quinta, who won the regional police dog trials with her second handler, PC Phil Lusby

Humberside Police said Quinta and PC Tune had worked on numerous jobs together, with the dog's scent work, which was "second to none", helping find vulnerable people.

Officers said the hound also "bravely took down a man with a machete one summer morning in Scunthorpe".

Quinta lived at home with PC Tune and his wife, Sharon, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2022.

After PC Tune's retirement, Quinta was paired up with a new handler PC Phil Lusby, who promised that when it was time for the dog to retire, Mick and Sharon would have the option to have her back at home.

Sharon sits in a chair on the garden patio. She wears a dusty pick hoodie and leans forward with her hands on both dogs. Quinta looks like a alsation cross, and the other dog is some kind of spaniel.Humberside Police

PC Mick Tune's wife Sharon at home with Quinta and their other dog

However, Sharon died in February this year before she could see Quinta return home.

The force said Quinta was now helping PC Tune to heal from his grief.

He said: "To say I am honoured is an understatement as this little firecracker of a dog has over the past eight years been an immense asset to both the force and Phil and myself who have been fortunate to be considered her handlers."

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