Heroic Dog Stories: Retired Police Dog Saves Missing Man During Birthday Walk

Heroic dog stories are endless, as our four-legged companions continue to show their utmost loyalty and compassion to both their owners and strangers alike.

A retired police dog named ‘Bear’ was hailed as a hero for his exceptional bravery when he saved a man’s life.

Bear is a 12-year-old German Shepherd and a retired police dog from the Sussex Police Force in the UK. Once he retired in 2020, Bear was adopted by Julia Pope and Ian, a retired police officer couple.

To celebrate Bear’s 12th birthday, Julia and her husband, Ian, took him out for a walk in the beautiful South Downs area near Eastbourne on November 28.

After undergoing surgery for the removal of two tumors, it was Bear’s first walk in the last few weeks, intended to build his stamina.

The hardworking dog, despite being retired and recovering from surgery, had not forgotten his training and natural instincts and led his owners to a bush where a helpless, cold, and wet man was stuck.

The hiker was unable to move and was confused while police were searching for him. The heroic dog spotted the missing man, prompting his owners to inform the authorities, and he was moved to safety.

For his brave act, Bear was awarded the Thin Blue Paw Foundation’s Lifesaver Award at the Sussex Police office in Lewes on December 23.

The Thin Blue Paw Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps currently serving and retired police canines with lifesaving surgeries. In fact, they had partially funded Bear’s surgery.

According to his owner, Julia, Bear was never awarded during his time as a canine officer, as that was his duty.

However, after his retirement, when he performed a life-saving rescue, word reached the authorities, who decided to award him for his good deed.

According to Argus, Julia considered the award a pleasant surprise and said it was “amazing and completely unexpected.”

She added that it was very special to have Bear’s former handler, Iain Sutherland, present when he received the award after retirement, and they are all “super proud of him.”