A RESCUE dog at a Dorset-based animal charity was the subject of a celebration, to mark his rise to become a fully-fledged police dog.

Jeff, an English Springer Spaniel, was presented with his official police dog collar to mark his ‘graduation’ to the Dorset Police squad on August 29.

Jeff was brought in as a rescue to a Margaret Green Animal Rescue’s (MGAR) Wingletang centre in Devon.

The spaniel was just one-year-old when he was brought into the centre when his previous owners were no longer able to look after him due to a change in circumstances.

The team at the Wingletang centre wanted to find him a home where he could put his boundless energy and working drive to good use.

After just a month at the rescue centre, Jeff was assessed by police who felt he had a future career in the squad and six months later, he completed his training as a detection dog.

Detector dogs are trained to search for a variety of items such as drugs, firearms, tobacco, cash and smuggled people. Their sense of smell and hunting instincts enable them to support officers in combatting smugglers and those seeking to avoid border controls.

The presentation took place at MGAR’s Church Knowle Rehoming and Visitor Centre in Wareham. The centre manager at Wingletang even made the trip to attend and present Jeff with his new collar.

Niki Ging, manager of MGAR’s Wingletang Centre, said: “It’s wonderful to see how far Jeff has come since being in rescue and that his exuberance and inquisitive nature is being channelled to help others. Everyone at the Margaret Green Animal Rescue wishes him all the best for his future and we’ll be following his progress with interest. Well done PD Jeff, we are very proud of you."

Also in attendance to celebrate Jeff’s achievement was Matt Devereux, MGAR trustee, Kate Wickins, Church Knowle's centre manager and members of the Dorset Police team.

Inspector Neil Leat, head of the Alliance Dog Section, said: “It’s been great to work with Margaret Green Animal Rescue to give Jeff a new start in life. For our specialist search dogs, we’re keen to work with animal rescue charities to offer dogs looking for a forever home a new active role within the police service."