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Finn named ‘Hero Animal of the Year’
"He means the world to me. He's like a son," says handler PC Wardell.
Police dog’s bravery recognised after he was stabbed on duty

A police dog who was stabbed on duty last year has been named Hero Animal of the Year for his outstanding courage in the face of a crisis.

The Animal Hero Awards were held in London on Thursday (7 September), celebrating inspiring acts of bravery, dedication and resilience.

PC Dave Wardell and German shepherd Finn were on a normal shift when they were called to a suspected armed robbery in Stevenage last October. Finn caught up with the teenage suspect as he tried to escape over the wall, took hold of his leg and pulled him to the floor.

But the teen pulled out a 12-inch knife and stabbed Finn through the chest, before turning the knife on PC Wardell. However, Finn got in the way to protect his handler. Seven-year-old Finn needed four hours of surgery to save his life as the weapon had narrowly missed his heart.

PC Wardell broke down in tears as he gave evidence in court. He said: “I knew we were in mortal danger, I thought, 'he's just tried to kill my police dog and the next thing is me'. I thought 'we've got to do something about this now or we're not going home’.

“At that point I feared for my life and for Finn's life, I was expecting Finn to die in front of me. Fearing my dog would be dead before I got to the van, I scooped him up and ran to my van.”

During his rehabilitation Finn sat by the door waiting for PC Wardell to come home everyday. He made an amazing recovery and was back patrolling the streets by Christmas.

His 16-year-old attacker was convicted of actual bodily harm against PC Wardell, who suffered a wound to his hand, but only criminal damage for his attack on Finn. The discrepancy in the way injured police officers and service animals are treated by the law sparked a campaign for change called Finn for Change. The government is currently reviewing the legislation.

Finn retired in March this year and is enjoying life as a pet in the Wardell family home. Retired police dogs do not always stay with their handlers, but PC Wardell said there was “never a chance” he would let Finn go.

"He means the world to me. He's like a son.

“I think I've leant on him for emotional and physical support especially after what happened, because he did save my life. I'll miss him immensely at work, but now we'll get to go away together and have lots of new adventures.”

Image © Hertfordshire Constabulary

 

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.