Tribute Puppies to Hit London Streets in Honour of Fallen Officer
Seven German Shepherd pups are gearing up to join the Met Police, named in memory of Matt, who was fatally shot at Croydon Custody Centre in September 2020. The Met Commissioner paid a heartfelt visit to the Dog Training Establishment in Keston to meet the litter alongside Matt’s partner, Su, who picked their names to honour him.
From Pup to Police Dog: Training Begins
The litter, born on 24 March at Keston, includes four females and three males. Their proud parents are Police Dogs Prada (aka Storm) and Pascalz (aka Pax). The pups’ names—Matiu, Carter, Jonah, Kora, Blu, Valentine, and Whanau—were personally chosen by Su as a lasting tribute to Matt.
These little heroes started their official 12-month police training on 6 May and are expected to hit the streets in about three months. Su will be invited back for their graduation parade in May 2022.
Crack Crimefighters in Training
Once trained, these dogs will serve as general purpose police dogs. They’ll track human scent, hunt down suspects, and sniff out weapons like guns and knives. They join around 210 Met police dogs already working across London.
- Half of these dogs are German Shepherds or Belgian Malinois trained for general duties.
- Others support armed ops and public order policing.
- Specialist dogs include English Springer Spaniels and Cockers trained to find drugs, money, and explosives.
All Met dogs live with their handlers, becoming part of their families. German Shepherds like these pups usually retire around age eight.
Commissioner’s Tribute to Matt and His Puppies
“Matt was much loved and respected, and this is just one of the ways for the Met to acknowledge and remember his service and courage,” said Commissioner Cressida Dick.
“These puppies will one day be fully trained police dogs, working day and night to find missing people, criminals, and weapons. Without their help, many criminals would escape justice, and vital evidence would go undetected.”
“Because of their work, London’s streets are kept much safer.”
