MEET

RPD Polly

Breed of dogBelgian Malinois cross

Location of servitudeSussex Police

Type of serviceGeneral Purpose

ConditionInfection

Grant amount received£4,000

  • Retired police dog Polly sits in the garden
  • Retired police dog Polly at the vets
  • Police dog Polly with handler Claire

MEET RETIRED POLICE DOG POLLY

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What made Polly a good police dog?

“She had a presence about her and always made people know she was there. I always felt safe deployed with her, knowing she’d have my back.”

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Any memorable moments from her career?

“We responded to assist in an incident involving an armed man. The suspect ran and Polly gave chase to detain him. He tried to get to his feet with the knife but Polly stopped him and kept him on the floor so he couldn’t get to me. She definitely had my back that day.”

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Why is your relationship with Polly so important?

“I was off work for some time with a serious knee injury and Polly was my therapy dog through everything. My nine-year-old daughter has only ever known life with her and they are so close.”

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Why is the Thin Blue Paw Foundation important?

“In the space of 24 hours my whole world came crashing down. Having already seen a vet and on a treatment plan things took a turn for the worst and I had to rush my gorgeous girl to an emergency vet.  On arrival she was extremely poorly and the prognosis was not good. That’s when the Thin Blue Paw stepped in and instantly relieved so much burden I was feeling.”

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW WE HELPED RETIRED POLICE DOG POLLY

RPD Polly served with Surrey and Sussex Police as a general purpose dog for six years.

She joined in 2016 but when her handler became an instructor she then re-licensed with rookie dog handler, Claire Harrison.

Claire said: “My dog didn’t make it through training so I was matched with Polly. She showed me the ropes and made me fall in love with this job.

“She was a proper character, and very intelligent. She was excellent at tracking and helped to locate numerous high-risk missing people as well as suspects and recovered lots of discarded property.”

Polly retired at the age of eight to live with Claire and her family, settling in straight away. 

Police dog Polly
Retired police dog Polly recovering at home

Claire added: “She has really enjoyed retired life. She is in the garden at every opportunity watching over the kids and is normally with any blanket she can find.”

In July 2026, Claire noticed a small wound on Polly’s leg and thought no more of it. When she started limping, she took her to the vets who gave her medication for an infection.

But the wound went septic and her leg swelled so Claire rushed her to the emergency vets where she was admitted and needed round-the-clock care for four days.

Claire said: “It was touch and go but Polly is so resilient and she fought through.”

The Foundation covered the £4,000 vet bill.

Retired police dog Polly with owner Claire

“No words can describe what the Foundation’s support has meant to me and Polly because, without it, I may have had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life, coupled with the guilt that financially I couldn’t help my best friend.”

Claire, Polly’s former handler and owner

BENEFICIARIES OF OUR GRANTS

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