MEET

RPD Buster

Breed of dogGerman Shepherd

Location of servitudeSuffolk Police

Type of serviceGeneral Purpose

ConditionIntervertebral disc disease

Grant amount received£500

Year of birth to year of death2007 – 2021

  • Retired police dog Buster
  • Retired police dog Buster with Sue and his vet

MORE ABOUT RETIRED POLICE DOG BUSTER

RPD Buster worked as a general purpose dog with Suffolk Police before he retired in 2015.

It was a chance phone call that brought him and his adopter, Sue Savory, together, when she called the force and asked to speak to the dog unit.

Sue said: “I called the police on an unrelated matter and, at the end of the call, I asked to be put through to the dog unit and told them I was interested in rehoming a dog. The head of the unit told me his dog, Buster, was about to retire; it must have been karma.”

Buster went to live with Sue and her mother, who she cares for. She said: “We all fell in love. I think we were all lucky; we were brought together for a reason. He was a beautiful dog, and such a gentleman. Everyone in our village loved him.”

Retired police dog Buster poses for the camera
Retired police dog Buster with Sue and his vet

In May 2019, Buster started to struggle on his back legs and vets found intervertebral disc disease (IVDD).

He started an intensive programme of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy which we helped pay for and Buster’s insurance company failed to pay for a lot of the treatment so Sue funded it herself, but struggled.

She said: “Every penny was worth it because it was keeping him comfortable so he could still play in the garden and chase the pigeons. But it was a struggle to find the money.

“When I heard about the Thin Blue Paw I sent in a claim and they agreed to donate towards the costs he’d incurred; it was a huge help.”

Retired police dog Buster

IN MEMORY OF

RPD BUSTER 2007-2021

“We lost our darling boy in 2021, he’d been growing weaker and his back injury got the better of him in the end. One morning he gave me this look and I knew it was time to say goodbye. I was heartbroken; he was such a special boy.” – Sue

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