Celebrating our police dogs this International Dog Day

On International Dog Day, we proudly celebrate our hardworking police dogs, who play a vital role in keeping our communities safe. Whether tracking suspects, detecting drugs and explosives, or finding missing people, these remarkable dogs work tirelessly alongside their handlers, demonstrating extraordinary skill and dedication.

Our police dogs are part of the Joint Operations Unit (JOU), supporting both Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and Thames Valley Police. Since April, in less than six months, they have sniffed out £23,450 in cash, drugs including heroin, cocaine and cannabis, found five knives, a machete and a hammer, and found two missing people.

Within the JOU, we have a variety of highly trained breeds specialising in different areas of policing.

General purpose dogs are experts in tracking, locating property, detaining offenders, and handling public order incidents. Earlier this month PD Echo was deployed to search for a suspect who had made off from an address and had last been seen heading into a graveyard on the Isle of Wight. Echo took his handler over a wall and into some thick shrubland before locating the suspect hidden in a thick nettle bush. He was arrested and later charged with criminal damage, assault by beating and harassment without violence.

Another recent success from this team of dogs include sniffing out a man who had made off from the scene of a collision on the Isle of Wight which resulted in him being arrested for drink driving.

Victim detection and drowned victim detection dogs play a crucial role in locating individuals on land or in water, helping bring closure to families. When they are not deployed for those incidents, they are also deployed to help track down items such as weapons or clothing, related to serious crime across the counties.

Drug detection dogs assist in uncovering hidden substances, firearms, and cash in buildings, vehicles, vessels, and open spaces. Recently, PD Rocky played a key role in uncovering a stash of cocaine hidden inside a vehicle in Andover. The car was stopped by officers, and Rocky was called in to assist with the search. Thanks to his keen nose, he found drugs concealed within the dashboard. As a result, a 46-year-old man from Andover was arrested.

People scanning dogs are specially trained to identify people carrying concealed illegal substances. These dogs patrol busy public areas such as town and city centres, particularly during evenings when there are lots of people out an about.

They go into clubs and bars performing passive scans. When they detect the scent of a controlled substance, they signal to their handler allowing them to engage with the individual.

They serve as both a deterrent and a proactive measure to reduce drug-related activity.

Digital detection dogs use their superior noses to locate hidden digital devices and their remarkable sense of smell has been fine-tuned to identify such items. Our four-legged colleagues have already been deployed across the two force areas to support a range of high-priority investigations, including those carried out by Priority Crime Teams, and Commercial Vehicle Units.

Our explosive detection dogs are trained to confirm or negate the presence of explosive material, ensuring public safety. They are often deployed to events across the force areas and to assist in mutual aid operations around the country. Recently they have been deployed to a number of large scale events including the Isle of Wight Festival, Sail GP in Portsmouth and Princess Ann’s visit to the Isle of Wight.

Sergeant Charlie Winchester, said: "Our police dogs are more than just working animals, they are highly skilled, dedicated members of our team. We’re incredibly proud of their expertise and the invaluable contributions they make across both forces. Their commitment, intelligence, and unwavering loyalty truly make a difference in policing, and today, we celebrate everything they do to help keep communities safe."