PDSA director general Jan McLoughlin with PD Bruno and his handler British Transport Police, Rob Smith.

Met and British Transport Police Dogs recognised for their devotion to duty

Nineteen police dogs who assisted the emergency services during the London terror attacks have been honoured by leading veterinary charity PDSA.

Seven of the dogs were chosen to represent the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police animals who served during the 2017 attacks. They received the PDSA Order of Merit - known as the animals’ OBE - at a special ceremony in London.

The dogs gathered with their handlers at the Honorable Artillery Company, on Thursday (30 May), including Met Police Dogs Kai, Delta and Dave, and BTP dogs Bruno, Marci, Jax and Bobby.

Commenting on the awards, PDSA director general Jan McLoughlin, said: “It is with great pride that we honoured these incredible Police Dogs with PDSA Medals today.
 
“Their awards follow two truly horrific events which tragically claimed thirteen innocent lives and where many more individuals were injured.  Amid the chaos, it fell to the dogs from the Metropolitan and British Transport Police to clear the locations of further danger.
 
“Their actions kept the public safe and allowed the emergency services to carry out their vital work. These are truly deserving recipients of the PDSA Order of Merit. It is an honour to recognise their devotion to duty and service to society.”

The PDSA Order of Merit gives recognition to animals who show outstanding devotion to their owner or wider society, going above and beyond normal companionship. It also represents an exceptional example of the special relationship between animals and humans.

The Met and BTP dogs take the total number of PDSA Order of Merit recipients to 27, including 17 dogs and 10 horses.

BTP inspector Paul Miles said: “I am immensely proud of our dogs and their handlers, and absolutely thrilled to see their bravery and resilience recognised through this very special award. It is impossible to overstate the courage and dedication show by our dog teams, and all of their colleagues who responded to the tragic events of 2017.

“They worked through physically and emotionally challenging conditions without second thought, willingly walking into danger and putting the public’s safety before their own. While today is a day of celebration, the horror of these incidents will never leave us and our thoughts will always remain with those who lost their lives and were injured.”

Image (C) PDSA.