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Sunday, February 16, 2025

Police announce death of PD Razor – a police dog who saved a child’s life

Razor, a lovable and good-natured German shepherd, joined Nottinghamshire Police as a puppy on 2011.

A much-loved police dog – who once helped to save a child’s life –  has passed away.

Razor, a lovable and good-natured German shepherd, joined Nottinghamshire Police as a puppy on 2011 and was paired with experienced handler PC Stu Hazard.

In the seven years that followed the pair made for a formidable crime-fighting duo – helping to secure hundreds of arrests and locating dozens of missing people.

On one freezing winter’s night in PC Hazard and Razor were called to help in the hunt for a missing nine-year-old boy who had gone missing from his home in rural Nottinghamshire.

Razor

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The boy was eventually found huddled under a hedgerow by Razor, who had picked up his scent and led officers to his location.

Mr Hazard said: “There is absolutely no way on earth we would have found him without Razor, and with the weather the way it was he potentially saved his life that night.

“I remember how grateful his parents were at the time and it’s a really proud memory to look back on. But ultimately it was just another example of the dog making me look good. It was really never the other way around.”

On another occasion Razor tracked down a man wanted in connection with a woman’s death. After a manhunt lasting several days he was found hiding out in a residential area of Nottingham.

Mr Hazard added: “The guy was eventually spotted by an officer and we were called in to search a particular area. Eventually Razor found him hiding under a burger van on somebody’s drive. He tried to roll out and make a run for it but, unfortunately for him, Razor had other ideas and bit him.”

Razor, who died last month, was born into the force’s former specialist breeding programme on and was actually know by two different names at the start of his like. Originally called Ego, he had a brief spell as Fenris before being transferred to his new handler.

Mr Hazard explained: “For me, neither of those names suited him so I ended recruiting a load of six-year-olds at my son’s school to decide on an alternative. I took him on a visit one day and launched a competition among the kids. As you can imagine we go all sorts of weird and wonderful suggestions through but Razor was absolutely perfect for him.

“He really was just a wonderful dog in every way. He actually had a great temperament and was a really lovable and gentle dog. But when you switched him into work mode he was did exactly what was required of him – and that really is a special quality in any working dog.

“Due to personal circumstances I had to rehome him with a wonderful couple, where he had a fantastic retirement. In the time we spent together we formed a really special bond. He loved me and I loved him. When I learned he had died I was absolutely gutted but it also evoked some fantastic memories and I felt  a huge amount of pride in what we had achieved together.”

Razor retired from the force in March 2018.

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