An ex-police dog who was left with a crushed pelvis and lost a leg in service now spends her days bringing joy to those around her. Belgian Malinois, Baloo, has found her new forever home with ex-Met Police officer Mandy Chapman.
Baloo lost her leg while working in Loughton, on the Essex-London border, after an incident involving a suspect’s car fleeing police in October 2018. After an hour-long search by both the Met and Essex Police, she was found seriously injured.
“Everyone was screaming for help, because they thought the dog had been killed,” said Mandy.
She was then rushed to a veterinary surgery, Dick White, where she was found to have a crushed pelvis and a crushed front right leg which no blood was getting to.
She now lives with ex-Met police officer Mandy
(Image: Mandy Chapman)
Baloo then had her pelvis re-built with metal, as well as having metal rods put in both of her back legs. The following day her front right leg had to be removed.
“We were all following it and desperate for her to live, once it seemed possible she would survive we wanted her to have the best life,” said Mandy.
Baloo then had to rest in a crate for a month so the muscles and bones in her legs could repair and accept the new metal. At the end of November, she was finally allowed out of the crate to stand.
“I was told by three nurses separately that they opened the door and she just ran round the room for cuddles.”
After much consideration, Baloo’s current dog handler, PC Ross Ashcroft, decided that it would be best to rehome her.
Baloo visits City of London Police
(Image: Mandy Chapman)
“I knew I couldn’t give Baloo the care and dedication she not only needed, but deserved, especially as I’d be training and working with a new dog,” he said.
“Even though it was heart-breaking for me and my family, we knew it was the best thing for Baloo.”
Baloo went home with ex-Met Police officer, and former dog handler of 24 years, Mandy. She required intensive care after her operations including five to six hours of therapeutic massage per day.
Now Mandy and Baloo spend their days visiting police forces, children and the elderly.
“It’s pretty much five days a week. I’m chauffeur and secretary – managing her diary is a full time job,” said Mandy.
“She’s very happy and loves her visits, but the work you do [as a police officer] is a dangerous job for everybody, as well as the animals. But the care we give our animals is out of this world.
“Its a story of her courage and resilience – it just shows you whatever happens, with the right support you can get through it.”
While Baloo works for Essex Police, she regularly comes to to the capital to visit the City of London Police. She has also returned to visit the call-handlers who were working the night she was hit by a car.
“The atmosphere was just incredible. There was a great deal of emotion with people seeing her and how she was.”
Baloo has even done work with victims of crime. Mandy remembers once incident in which a female victim needed to give a police statement but had no one to look after her young son.
“We went in with Baloo and it just made it much easier,” she said.
“We found that people really enjoyed getting a visit from Baloo.
“People would tell me how much better they’d feel after spending some time with [her] and that she gave them the lift they needed.”
Got a story? Please get in touch at katherine.gray@reachplc.com
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