‘PROTECTING OUR PROTECTORS’

A few months ago, The National Foundation for Retired Service Animals (NFRSA) received a frantic call from a police officer, whose beloved retired police dog was in surgery, fighting for her life after having suffered a stomach torsion, or ‘bloat’ as it is sometimes called.

Retired Police Dog Keela, a German Shepherd, had served for nine years alongside her handler Sam, with Kent Constabulary, dedicating most of her life to keeping her communities safe. For larger dogs a twisted stomach is a life-threatening condition, and Sam was terrified, but at the back of her mind, there was another reason to be worried – the surgery was going to cost in the region of £6,000. While it was unthinkable her beloved dog was not going to receive the help she needed, the financial implications were just as frightening.

Happily, she was told by a colleague about the NFRSA, and was able to turn to them for the help she needed. There was no hesitation from this new charity, and the bill was paid instantly. Sam’s relief was immeasurable; she would have re-mortgaged her home to pay for Keela’s care and while the economic strain would have been hard, there was no doubt in her mind that her beloved work partner would get through her ordeal. Keela is now fully recovered and continues to enjoy her well-deserved retirement, but the outcome could have been so different.

NFRSA is a registered charity, supporting retired dogs and horses from the police, fire and rescue, prison, border force, and National Crime Agency (NCA), by helping with medical and veterinary bills, which inevitably occur as age advances.

When serving dogs and horses retire, the support they have enjoyed whilst working including food, kennels or stables, medical and veterinary requirements, training, and equipment, even toys, comes to an end. They are no longer affiliated with the body to which they once belonged and in essence, become pets, or ‘private citizens.’

This is not a criticism of the services they belonged to, it’s just a fact. Although we would all love to think that retired service animals should receive a pension, it’s impossible. We all have to pay into pensions throughout our careers - dogs and horses don’t receive a wage. Our services all have strict budgets and while everyone who reads this will be an animal lover, there are those taxpayers who may not necessarily agree with the payment of vet bills from the public purse for older animals that no longer work.

Unfortunately for the families they now belong to, meaningful, or if available at all, affordable insurance is almost impossible to obtain due to the animals age and training. This is obviously a worry for those who have their own financial obligations. Any pet owner knows that medical bills can, on occa- sion, become a real challenge.

As is widely acknowledged, the relationship between a handler or rider and their working mate is second to none. They have spent years together - having each other’s backs in sometimes dire situations - and their dearest wish is to be able to keep their partner once they retire. It’s unthinkable that the pair may be broken up merely due to financial pressures. It seems almost cruel, but this does sometimes happen, and it causes great distress for the handlers and their families. In some cases, a dog may be rehomed due to other factors, such as space, or situations, but even when rehomed, the same financial responsibilities apply.

The NFRSA is there to help to ensure these wonderful animals can either stay where they belong, with the families they love, or remain supported in their new homes as the years advance. It’s the least they deserve when they’ve devoted most of their lives to keeping the public safe – often in ways we could never understand or imagine. In the case of police horses, some do go to live at The Horses Trust, but many pass into private hands and live out their later years being enjoyed and gently hacked. It is those animals that the NFRSA cares for. Their job, quite simply, is to ‘Protect our Protectors’.

The NFRSA was founded by The Countess Bathurst from Cirencester Park in the Cotswolds. Lady Bathurst served as High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 2016-17 and being a devoted animal lover, she spent time with the dog and mounted sections. It was here she learned that once service animals reach the end of their careers, there is no pension in place or financial support, and she vowed to do something about it. The National Foundation for Retired Service Animals was launched at the National Police Dog Trials, held at Cirencester Park in May 2022, and it has spent its first 12 months doing just what it set out to do – supporting retired service animals.

The NFRSA supports dogs by providing regular medications for ongoing conditions, such as for Rolo, a retired Border Force Detection Dog, who suffers with epilepsy. Retired Police Horse ‘Little Dave’ (or PH Bowron as he was known in the City of London Police), needed three teeth extracting. Retired HM Prison Service Dog ‘Jay’ who had a painful ear hematoma, also benefitted from the NFRSA’s help. The NFRSA has just celebrated its first birthday, with a reception and charity auction at Christie’s in London, attended by people such as Sarah, Duchess of York.

Gifts were donated to the cause by donors, including Charlie Smith, an upand-coming sculptor who promised a commission of a bronze dog’s head to the winning bidder. Other items auctioned included the opportunity to name a litter of puppies from the Metropolitan Police Dog Section; a day’s training with the West Midlands Dog Section; and a bottle of 32-year-old Dalmore single malt whisky, taken from a single cask and bottled exclusively for the NFRSA.

The NFRSA is lucky enough to have a powerful stable of ambassadors, including Dragons Den’s Deborah Meaden, actress Minnie Driver, Carol Vorderman, and cricketer David Gower – they are all hugely supportive of the work.

Minnie Driver says: “To be involved as an ambassador for the NFRSA is my way of showing support to the leading role these extraordinary dogs and horses play in our everyday lives. Quite simply, they keep us safe. We should do the same for them when their work is done.”

The charity, which is run entirely by volunteers, with an incredibly hard-working management committee and overseen by a board of trustees, has already gifted over £30,000 to retired dogs and horses from across the country, including Scotland.

The NFRSA is also keen to work alongside the established local retired police dog charities, who already look after police dogs in their individual counties, and Lady Bathurst is quick to acknowledge their existence.

“We are hugely aware of the Association of Retired Police Dog Charities with their 18 members across the country, supporting 30 out of the 43 constabularies and we cooperate closely with them, and are enormously proud to call them our colleagues.” She stresses, “It is not a competition, as long as someone is taking care of the retired animals, that’s all that matters, and we have no wish to eclipse what they do. We simply fill in the gaps, and of course give full support to the services who have no help.”

With the rise in the cost of living, the charity anticipates the demand for help will grow, and it is very much focused on fund-raising.

Along with public donations, the NFRSA has several major events in 2023. Crufts in March was the perfect venue at which they were able to highlight the charity and its work; the birthday party at Christie’s was an invaluable showcase, and there are two further major dates planned in the diary.

On June 11th, The Lord Margadale generously offered his home, Fonthill Estate in Wiltshire, as a venue for a garden party exclusively for the NFRSA. The event team, consisting of the dedicated management committee, worked tirelessly to make it a huge success.

In September, the charity’s founder, Lady Bathurst, rode her Porsche electric bike from Land’s End to John ‘O’Groats to not only raise further funds, but to also highlight the exceptional work these extraordinary animals do throughout the country. She started her epic journey at the tip of Cornwall, travelling up to the tip of Scotland, stopping off along the way to visit police dog sections, mounted horse sections, prisons, fire and rescue stations, as well as Border Force agencies. She was accompanied by several of the charity’s ambassadors, including Ben Miller, Nick Knowles, and Adam Henson, all of whom joined her for various legs, as well as officers and staff from the services the NFRSA supports.

“It’s certainly took me out of my comfort zone” she says, “At times I questioned my own sanity and it was incredibly hard on the days when it was raining, when I felt exhausted –I would do anything for the animals we support.”

Plans for the future include encouraging satellite fund-raising committees to form across the country and encouraging more public donations. The NFRSA hopes everyone who loves dogs, and supports our wonderful emergency services, will feel inspired to get involved.

With this exceptional and dedicated team, it can only go from strength to strength and the brave dogs and horses from the five services it supports can look forward to a happy, safe and above all, healthy retirement with the NFRSA at their side.

For more information on how to donate, or get involved – please visit: https://www.nfrsa.org.uk