More than £10,000 raised for ex-police dog surgery

Captain was described as a "fearsome" and "extremely sociable" dog by his owner

More than £10,000 has been raised in 24 hours for a former police dog to have surgery after suffering significant spinal damage.

The German Shepherd, named Captain, worked for West Midlands Police for three years but retired early in 2022 after he ruptured his cruciate ligament in a leg, with spinal problems emerging thereafter.

Thin Blue Paw Foundation, a charity supporting police dogs across the UK, said that "strenuous days patrolling the streets and chasing and detaining suspects" had caused the damage.

His owner, PC Marcus Cottrell, described Captain as a fearsome yet extremely sociable dog who had visited schools and community groups.

'Overwhelmed by love'

"He detained countless criminals – including a suspect who’d stabbed two people – and used his nose to find people on the run, as well as weapons used in incidents," PC Cottrell said.

The charity has helped him with veterinary costs and regular hydrotherapy sessions since Captain's retirement.

But after facing a bill of about £7,500 for spinal surgery to improve Captain's quality of life, there had to be an appeal for donations via an online fundraising page.

“Captain gave years of his life to working as a police dog and now he deserves to have a long and happy, comfortable retirement, so we want to give him the very best chance at that," the charity said.

All funds raised above the fundraising target would go towards supporting other retired police dogs, it added.

PC Cottrell said he was "overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, support and generosity shown by supporters of the Thin Blue Paw Foundation".

He thanked contributors from "the bottom of his heart".