Police dog who was shot in the head given bravery award
A police dog who survived being shot in the head multiple times has been honoured with a major award.
German Shepherd Logan ‘never put a paw wrong’ in his seven-and-a-half years of service with Humberside Police.
Yesterday he was recognised with a lifetime achievement award at the Thin Blue Paw Awards.
The now retired dog’s handler, PC Ian Sweeney, heaped praise on his partner for saving lives.
‘Logan is my soulmate and I’m so proud of him for everything he’s achieved’, Mr Sweeney, 52, said.
‘Logan has assisted in hundreds of tracks and arrests, he’s saved countless lives, he’s helped to keep the peace at events and has kept the public safe.
‘This award is particularly special as it encompasses everything he’s done and I don’t think you ever really believe you’ll achieve something like that.
‘I still feel incredibly shocked, overwhelmed and overjoyed by it!’
Logan, now eight, was once shot in the mouth and head three times as he tried to protect his handler. He miraculously survived after only getting superficial injuries.
The dog was previously awarded the Heart of the Community Award along with the North East Region 2 National Bravery Award for his devoted service in the line of duty.
Logan joined Humberside Police in January 2015 as a 10-month-old from the South Yorkshire Police breeding programme.
He had no training when he was partnered with Mr Sweeney. But in 2017, he qualified as a firearms support dog too.
Mr Sweeney, from North East Lincolnshire, added: ‘It usually takes around 13 weeks to train a general purpose police dog but Logan took only eight weeks before he was trained and licensed, and we hit the streets in May 2015.
‘He was a natural with his scent detection and tracking, I’ve never known a dog like him.
‘He had a faultless career, he was very diverse, and he always passed all of his assessments and never put a paw wrong. He was the dream dog.’
Superintendent Lee Edwards added: ‘It is an incredible honour for one of our retired police dogs to receive the Lifetime Achievement award.
‘This once in a lifetime achievement recognises the hard work, commitment, dedication, skill and ability of RPD Logan’s work for Humberside Police.’
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