Hero police dog to be remembered with statue after public appeal

By James Gamble via SWNS

A hero police dog who helped toughen the law around injuring service animals after saving his handler's life is to have a statue erected in his honor.

Ex-police dog Finn - known to admirers as Fabulous Finn - was stabbed by a teenager while protecting his handler PC Dave Wardell in 2016.

PC Wardell says German Shepherd Finn, who suffered life-threatening injuries in the attack, likely saved his life that day.

The 14-year-old dog returned to service following the attack before retiring and later successfully campaigned for the introduction of Finn's Law, which provides better protection for service animals.

After dying peacefully in his sleep last year a fundraising appeal to create a lasting memorial for Finn, who touched the public's hearts, raised a whopping £40,000.

Now, service dog charity The Thin Blue Paw Foundation has announced plans for a statue to commemorate his life.

Finn shot to fame in 2016, when he stepped in to protect PC Wardell during an incident involving a teenager in Stevenage, Herts.

He was stabbed in the head and chest and suffered life-threatening injuries to protect his handler, but miraculously survived and even returned to service.

PC Wardell is convinced Finn saved his life that night in 2016, having only suffered minor injuries as a result of the dog's intervention.

However, he was "horrified" when Finn’s attacker was charged merely with criminal damage for his attack on the dog.

The duo launched Finn’s Law - a national campaign that saw the pair appear on Britain’s Got Talent and launch a popular book - calling for better protection for service animals and harsher sentencing for those who hurt them.

The law, also known as the Animal Welfare (service Animals) Act 2019, remains in place today.

Having spent his entire career with PC Wardell, upon retiring in 2017 Finn went to live with him and his family.

PC Wardell admitted he was 'broken' when he lost Finn following a short illness in July last year.

“I miss Finn every day," he said. "But I feel so lucky that I got to spend so much of my life with him by my side."

A fundraising appeal launched after the heroic dog's death to create a lasting memorial to the much-loved mutt's memory raised more than £40,000 in just one week.

Animal charity The Thin Blue Paw Foundation, which supports working and retired police dogs across the UK, has now announced that a sculptor has been commissioned to craft a memorial that will immortalize Finn.

Finn was the charity’s 'ambassa-dog' and helped raise the profile of retired police dogs within the UK, after the Foundation was launched by PC Wardell along with his wife, Gemma, and a friend in 2020.

The statue will be located in a park in Hertfordshire, where Finn and PC Wardell both lived and worked - though it's location is not yet being revealed.

“After almost a year since we had to say goodbye, I’m really excited that we’ve chosen a sculptor and a location for the memorial which will pay tribute to Finn, and all of the other police dogs whose memory and legacy will live on through this sculpture," PC Wardell said.

"It’ll be a truly special place to visit."

Kieran Stanbridge, co-founder and trustee of The Thin Blue Paw Foundation, said the statue would commemorate all service dogs - many of whom do not receive ongoing support from the Government or police when they leave service and are uninsurable, meaning their expensive ongoing care falls to their handler or adopters.

“Finn was one-of-a-kind and the difference he made to the lives of service animals for generations to come will be an incredible legacy to what he achieved during his lifetime," Mr Stanbridge said.

“We really wanted to create a special memorial paying tribute to Finn and the thousands of police dogs who have dedicated their lives to serving the public.

"While the statue we’ve commissioned will pay tribute specifically to Finn, we hope it will become a place of peace where people can come to remember all animals who have worked in public roles.

“The memorial will also feature inscribed plaques dedicated to other dogs - past, present and future - to commemorate their lives.

“We’d like to thank everyone who has donated to support this memorial.

"If there are any funds left over after the sculpture has been installed then these will be used to help fund supporting police dogs in their retirement across the UK."

The Thin Blue Paw Foundation protects and celebrates working and retired police dogs and their achievements, as well as supporting retired police dogs.

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