More than £12,000 raised for retired West Midlands Police dog Captain's spinal surgery

A fundraising page set up to raise money to pay for spinal surgery for a retired West Midlands Police dog has raised more than £12,000.

German Shepherd Captain worked for the force for three years but had to retire early in 2022 after rupturing his cruciate ligament the previous year.

Days patrolling the streets and chasing suspects between 2018 and 2021 has taken its toll on Captain's body and he's now been left with significant damage to his spine which requires major surgery.

The fundraiser has been launched by retired police dog charity, Thin Blue Paw Foundation, which is facing a bill of around £5,000 to £7,500 to pay for Captain's spinal surgery. So far they have already covered the costs for Captain's tests and an MRI scan.

The Thin Blue Paw Foundation trustee Kieran said: "The Foundation has supported Captain since his retirement and we’ve helped his owner, Marcus, with the costs of his veterinary care.

"We have helped with the cost of his regular hydrotherapy sessions, but this surgery comes at a huge cost so we’re asking our supporters and the public to help us give Captain this lifeline.

"Unfortunately, the wear and tear from Captain’s working life has left its mark on his body, and he’s been struggling on his rear legs for some time. Tests have shown that he’s got severe damage to his spine which needs surgery so he can continue to have a quality of life.

"Captain gave years of his life to working as a police dog and now he deserves to have a long and happy, comfortable retirement, so we want to give him the very best chance at that."

PC Marcus Cottrell and Captain qualified in December 2018 and had a successful partnership, winning the Police Chief’s Certificate of Achievement.

During his time working, Captain has detained many criminals including a stabbing suspect.

Captain’s owner and former handler, PC Marcus Cottrell, said: "Captain is fearsome but also extremely sociable; he detained countless criminals, including a suspect who’d stabbed two people, and used his nose to find people on the run, as well as weapons used in incidents.

"He’s also taken part in visits to schools and community groups to introduce the public to the work of police dog teams."

Captain and his former handler were also deployed to Cornwall in 2021 to support the G7 conference in St Ives. They've since returned so Captain could enjoy a well deserved holiday.

PC Marcus Cottrell said: "The support that the Foundation provides to Captain with this has made a huge difference to his life post-retirement.

"The latest condition has been very traumatic and the Foundation has been amazing with their support and getting him seen at one of Europe’s leading referral centres."

The Trust says any funds raised above the fundraising target of £9,000 will go towards supporting other retired police dogs.

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