Reunited at last

[MotherBear]

Cop pays $6000 to fly old work pal to NZ
07 December 2006

A Wellington policeman has forked out ?2000 ($NZ5832) to bring out from Britain his former police dog who lost his job because he couldn't bear to be parted.

Former police officer John Gallagher was living in in Sabden, Lancashire with his wife, Angela, and son Finn, six, when he moved to New Zealand in late 2004.
He pleaded with his bosses to allow him to bring his german shepherd police dog, Diesel, but police chiefs refused because Diesel did such a good job fighting crime in East Lancashire.

The pair were based at Accrington Police Station and Diesel helped police football matches, and brawls and track criminals.

Months before the family emigrated, Diesel was named runner-up in the UK's National Young Dog competition.

But Mr Gallagher told the Lancashire Evening News that Diesel pined for him so much that he no longer performed properly and lost his police job.

He was sent back to his breeder in Blackpool, who contacted Mr Gallagher ? now a sergeant in charge of training dogs and handlers at the New Zealand Police College at Porirua ? to tell him he could have the dog after all.

Mr Gallagher, 42, said it had been a long battle to acquire Diesel. "It cost ?2000 for him to be flown over but he's worth every penny. He was on a flight for 30 hours and spent a day travelling to get to London's Heathrow Airport but when I saw him he was jumping and bouncing all over the place.

"I'm pretty sure he still knew who I was. We forged a very close bond because I'd had him since he was a puppy. He comes to work with me and we go out for a run every lunchtime. It's just great to have him with me again."

- NZPA

[fisheress]

What a fabulous story MB! :D
It brought a tear to my eye [smiley=022.gif]

I love stories with happy endings but what a shame it took so long for the reunion to happen! Anyway, all's well that ends well!

Fisheress

[MotherBear]

Happy ever after. The crafty old dog. ;D

Police dog Diesel finds a new job he can enjoy
Friday December 8, 2006

Diesel, the British police dog who pined so much when his former handler emigrated to New Zealand that he lost his job, may yet see his offspring working for the police. Sergeant John Gallagher, of Wellington, paid $5832 to bring Diesel out from Britain.

Diesel, a 4-year-old german shepherd, is now his family's pet, but is still serving law enforcement, in a manner of speaking. He has been standing at stud in New Zealand to bitches whose genetic lines have produced good police dogs.

"In the near future there will be some Diesel pups around," said Mr Gallagher. "We're hoping his offspring will be suitable for police work - Diesel's line is very popular in Europe." New Zealand police have brought a bitch from Holland and are considering another from Canada to introduce the right mix to their breeding lines for police dogs.

When Mr Gallagher, 42, moved to New Zealand two years ago to train police dogs and their handlers at Trentham, British police kept Diesel as he was doing a good job in East Lancashire.

Not long before the family emigrated, Diesel was runner-up in the UK's National Young Dog competition. But Mr Gallagher said that after his departure Diesel's performance declined, partly because he was pining, and he lost his police job.

"I got him when he was 7 weeks old and he grew up in our family - he is a one-man dog," he said. "It cost more to get him here than a human," he said.

But even after two years, the dog recognised him, his wife, Angela, and son Finn, now 6. "He comes to work with me and we go out for a run every lunchtime. It's just great to have him with me again."

- NZPA