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Stray puppy set to become police sniffer dog two months after rescue

Nine-month-old puppy in training to join Avon and Somerset Police

Olivia Petter
Thursday 01 August 2019 15:11 BST
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A stray puppy is set to become a police sniffer dog two months after the animal was handed into a rescue centre.

In June, a canine named Raven was taken to Bristol Animal Rescue Centre by a member of the public. The animal is a crossbreed and is estimated to be nine months old.

When Raven’s behaviour was assessed by staff at the Rescue Centre, they noticed she enjoyed playing with tennis balls and engaging in games such as Fetch.

The staff then decided to put the puppy forward to Avon and Somerset Police as a potential sniffer dog.

On 23 July, the police force accepted Raven into their programme and she has since been adopted by dog trainer PC Lee Webb.

Webb will teach Raven how to detect drugs, firearms and money as part of her new role.

The puppy will soon be introduced to other dogs as part of her training and be placed in different environments like schools. She will then be assessed on her performance later this year.

Zita Polgar, senior behaviourist at Bristol Animal Rescue Centre, said: “Raven’s obsession with finding and bringing back her ball made her an obvious contender to hopefully become a sniffer dog.

“She would play for hours and if the ball was lost, she would use her sense of smell to find it.”

Polgar revealed that the police force accepted Raven “almost immediately” when they put her forward.

“They thought she would make an ideal candidate for the job,” Polgar continued.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Raven will have both a very good, stable home as well as a very important job in the city.

“It is amazing that a stray dog will go on to perform a huge civic duty. We are very proud of her.”

Lee said that Raven had settled in well at his home and enjoys socialising with other dogs

"She follows me everywhere – even to the bathroom!" he added. "Once she has settled fully I will begin to take her to lots of different places and see how she reacts, especially when it comes to retrieving and searching for a tennis ball. She loves to play, and first indications have been very good.”

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