Lifetime Achievement award for retired police dog

Fiji was forced to retire in 2019 when she pulled the ligaments in her leg jumping for a toy

A retired police dog who helped save lives across Surrey and Sussex before being forced into retirement by injury has received a Lifetime Achievement award.

Belgian Malinois Fiji, now 12, joined Surrey Police as a puppy and spent six years working in the Surrey and Sussex Joint Dog Unit.

Handler and now owner, PC Claire Bird, kept Fiji after injury cut short a distinguished career in which she received a commendation for saving a high-risk missing person's life.

This week she was named winner of the Thin Blue Paw Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award at a special ceremony in London.

Belgian Malinois RPD Fiji spent six years working with the Surrey and Sussex Joint Dog Unit

PC Bird said: "Fiji had an incredible drive and brilliant intuition and joined me at nine-months-old to train as a general purpose dog.

"I'd just returned from maternity leave so Fiji was around the same age as my daughter, it felt like it was meant to be."

The "exceptional police dog", who received two chief constable's commendations during her career, had been rescued after her owner took their own life.

This was not the Thin Blue Paw Foundation's first interaction with Fiji.

Back in January the charity stepped in to fund emergency surgery to the tune of £4,300, having previously supported Fiji in October 2023 when she fell seriously ill with a bacterial infection in her uterus.

Surrey Police deputy chief constable Nev Kemp described the award as a "huge honour" for Fiji, PC Bird and "Surrey Police and Sussex Police as a whole".

Elsewhere, PC Marissa Barwell from Surrey Police and police dog Ella have received the Crimefighting Duo Award.

The pair were recognised for their tireless commitment and fearlessness in the face of dangerous situations, including one incident in which they were called to reports of a man with a knife in a busy shopping area.

PC Barwell says Ella is "one-of-a-kind".

"She is quirky, very loyal and was born to work. She's great at tracking," she added.

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