Stray puppy recruited by police force

A police force has gained a new four-legged recruit after it adopted a stray puppy.

Jager, an eight-week-old Belgian Malinois, was found running around the streets of Hartlepool last week before he was taken in by animal charity Stray Aid, Durham Police said.

After seeing the young pup's potential, the organisation contacted the force's Dog Support Unit to see if there was a job for him.

A Durham Police spokesperson said Jager was now officially a police dog in training - and is "already a pro at tug of war".

"All going well, he will become a licensed general purpose dog in 12 to 18 months," the spokesperson said.

"Welcome to the team Jager."

General purpose police dogs are used to chase down suspects and help find missing people during searches.

German Shepherds are the most common breed used as general purpose dogs, but police forces also use other breeds such as Dutch Herders and Belgian Malinois.

Earlier this month, Durham Police welcomed three new explosive detection dogs to its team.

Springer spaniels Gracie, Angus and Teddy passed their final assessment following a rigorous six-week course, the force said.

PD Gracie was recruited from the Northern English Springer Spaniel Rescue, PD Angus progressed through the force's puppy development programme, while PD Teddy was donated by a member of the public.

They are now able to detect a number of explosive substances and will be used by the force to identify potential threats.

"Not only will the trio be covering County Durham and Darlington but will also offer assistance all around the UK with policing high-profile events to keep the public safe," the force said.

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