Badger, a boisterous cocker spaniel puppy who was initially found abandoned in a bucket and later adopted, was unable to remain with his adoptive family. Fortunately, the Sussex and Surrey Police Dog Unit was able to utilize his energy and sophisticated sniffing abilities.
In the summer of 2019, a concerned citizen in Redhill, Surrey, a town about 20 miles south of London, made the initial discovery of Badger and three other young pups. The puppies were severely malnourished, had severe mange, were partially bald, and had ear and eye infections, so rescuers took them to the Millbrook Animal Centre. Jo Douglas, a worker at the Millbrook Animal Centre, told ITV that the abused puppies needed a lot of eye and ear drops and medicated baths to get better.
All four puppies were rehomed with devoted families following their recuperation. At the time, they were given the names Dustin, El, Lucas, and Mike after the children from Stranger Things. Unfortunately, Badger was returned to the animal center because his high-energy personality and need for constant stimulation proved to be too much for his adoptive family.
Jo and other workers played hide-and-seek and scent games with Badger in an effort to keep him occupied. Badger turned out to be very good at sniffing.
Douglas stated, “He was really good at following his nose and absolutely loved it.” As a result, we contacted the police to determine whether they would accept him as a new recruit.
They absolutely were. Badger is an official member of the local police department at just shy of two years old. What is his position? What he excels at, naturally: snooping for weapons, money, and drugs. Last month, the Sussex Police celebrated their new four-legged officer’s completion of training and admission to the force by posting this sweet tribute to Badger on their Facebook page.
Despite the fact that he enjoys his job, his handler, PC Steph Barrett, who gave him the new name Badger, claims that he is no stranger to a little bit of trouble.
He squeals with excitement when the radio goes off, and I don’t even have to ask him to get in the van. In a police news release, Barrett states, “He’s a joy to work with.” It’s hard to not love him. He still possesses that naughty side, but he is obsessed with his work and makes me smile all day.
“Numerous finds” have already been attributed to Badger by police, including a cache of cash and drugs found on the grounds of a church in November.
