Thieves, dangerous drivers and other fleeing criminal suspects were among those who regretted coming face-to-face with our dogs over the last 12 months.
More than 50 suspects were chased and detained by police dogs in 2025, with even more detained as a result of searches.
Five missing people were also found thanks to the intervention of our dogs and handlers.
In total, dogs attended more than 2,500 incidents and were deployed on 788 occasions.
In a busy year for the team, notable successes included:
• A disqualified driver found hiding in woodland in the early hours by PD Reno
• Three burglary suspects found in the dark near Scrooby by PD Seth
• A suspected motorbike thief chased down and detained by PD Max in Sutton-in-Ashfield
• A robbery suspect found hiding in a stream in Giltbrook by PD Max
• The recovery of three stolen motorcycles and detention of a suspect by PD Seth
• A suspected dangerous driver detained by PD Rocket after fleeing the scene of a crash in Nottingham
• A suspected car thief tracked down to a line of trees and detained by PD Tuco
• Two suspected fuel thieves found in dense woodland by PD Santo and his handler
• A suspect found hiding in a wheelie bin by PD Seth
• A suspect found hiding on the roof of a garden shed by PD Rooster
On many of these occasions, suspects would have gone undetected without the intervention of a dog and the powerful tracking abilities they bring.
New Dogs
With general-purpose dogs having a working life of around five years, the force’s expert training team is always on the lookout for new dogs with the potential to meet the standards required in the core disciplines of police dog work.
After a very sad start to the year with the sudden death of PD Rambo, the team trained and licensed seven new dogs – PDs Rooster, Tuco, Santo, Gibbs, Murillo, Lando, and Chaos.
PD Rambo passed away at the start of the year
Notable retirements included PDs Reno, Mack, and Dexter, who will each remain in the care of their former handlers and families.
Sergeant Nick Dachtler, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Dog handlers and their animals have the ability to make a vital difference in a wide range of scenarios.
“Between them, they regularly get results that simply would not have been possible without a dog on the scene – particularly when suspects are seeking to avoid detection.
“These are special partnerships that take a lot of time to develop, so it is always extremely satisfying when we see that time and effort repaid in the real world.
“Over the last 12 months, we have also worked hard to recruit and train a record number of new dogs, which will protect and serve the public for many years to come.”
