THIN BLUE PAW AWARDS

NOMINATION FORM

We are a national charity supporting, rehabilitating, protecting and celebrating serving and retired police dogs from across the United Kingdom. We’re passionate about celebrating the remarkable work of these dogs which is why we launched the Thin Blue Paw Awards.

WE ARE SEARCHING FOR THE UK’S TOP POLICE DOG AND HANDLER

We are delighted to announce that nominations for our 2026 Thin Blue Paw Awards, sponsored by Animal Friends Pet Insurance are now open and will close at 23:00hrs on Sunday 5th July 2026.

Each year, the Thin Blue Paw Foundation celebrates the extraordinary contributions made by police dogs and their handlers across the United Kingdom. From detaining dangerous suspects while sustaining serious injuries, to locating vulnerable and suicidal missing people, these remarkable dogs go above and beyond every day to protect communities and fight crime.

The Thin Blue Paw Awards pay tribute to these canine heroes and the handlers who work alongside them, and we are honoured to once again recognise their bravery, dedication and service.

This year, we are doing things a little differently as we search for the UK’s Top Police Dog and Handler, with the winner decided by public votes. Following the close of nominations, entries will be shortlisted by our judging panel to four finalists before the public crowns the UK’s Top Police Dog and Handler.

We are inviting nominations for police dogs and teams whose stories reflect exceptional bravery, lifesaving incidents, outstanding operational success, rising stars in policing, specialist detection work and lifelong service.

Previous Thin Blue Paw Award winners have appeared on BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, Sky News, ITV News, as well as in national online and print media.

You can read more about our previous Thin Blue Paw Award winners here.

AWARD CATEGORIES:

While there are no formal award categories this year, we are still looking for nominations that recognise the incredible achievements, bravery and dedication of police dogs and their handlers across the UK. It does not matter whether a police dog has only recently qualified or has many years of service behind them, we want to hear the stories of police dogs making a real difference in communities across the United Kingdom.

We know that, for many handlers and teams, the work they carry out every day is simply considered “part of the job”, but the commitment, courage and dedication shown by police dogs and their handlers is truly exceptional. Please do not be put off from submitting a nomination because you feel a dog or team is “just doing their job”, it is these remarkable everyday acts that deserve to be recognised and celebrated.

Examples of the types of stories we would love to receive nominations for include:

Outstanding bravery in the line of duty
Lifesaving incidents, including locating vulnerable or missing people
Exceptional teamwork and crime-fighting partnerships between police dogs and their handlers
Newly licensed police dogs making an immediate impact
Specialist detection work, including digital devices, drugs, cash, firearms, explosives and victim recovery

Following the close of nominations, entries will be shortlisted by our judging panel to four finalists before the public votes to crown the UK’s Top Police Dog.

NOMINATION FORM FOR 2026 THIN BLUE PAW AWARDS

Nominations close on Sunday 5th July 2026 at 23:00hrs. Any nominations submitted after this date will not be considered.

Nominations are open to all operational police dogs across the United Kingdom, and handlers are permitted to nominate their own police dog for an award.

Nominee's first name:(Required)

Nominee's last name:(Required)

Nominee's email address:(Required)

Nominee's telephone number:(Required)

Nominee's police force:(Required)

Name of police dog:(Required)

Police dog's breed:(Required)

Age of police dog:(Required)

I confirm I have obtained permission from the nominee to share their contact details with the Thin Blue Paw Foundation, and they consent to being nominated for the award:(Required)

Yes

Please explain in as much detail as possible, why your nominee deserves to be crowned the UK's Top Police Dog and Handler for 2026:(Required)

Your first name:(Required)

Your last name:(Required)

Your email address:(Required)

Your telephone number:(Required)

Your relationship to nominee:(Required)

I consent to the Thin Blue Paw Foundation contacting me in relation to processing my nomination:(Required)

Yes

Would you like to sign up to our Thin Blue Paw Foundation newsletter:(Required)

Yes