West Midlands Police dog Snow has retired on his ninth birthday after eight years of distinguished service. The German Shepherd, named after the Game of Thrones character Jon Snow, marked his final working day on September 27, having served the force since 2018.
A Career of Notable Detentions
Snow's career highlights include detaining a rape suspect who attempted to evade arrest by fleeing his home. The suspect was caught after a brief chase. On another occasion, Snow and his handler were first to the scene of a burglary in progress in Walsall, where they tracked and detained two offenders in woodland. A third person who tried to outrun Snow was unsuccessful, bringing the total detained to three.
In a separate incident, Snow helped recover stolen presents after snagging a Christmas burglar, and he once protected his handler from an armed suspect.
Recognitions and Awards
Snow received a Commanders award after helping detain a man who set fire to multiple cars and a pub following an assault. That man was later convicted of assaulting Snow. Snow also received a Chief Constable’s Commendation for helping to detain an armed man, and most recently for his role during the bulldozer incident in Wolverhampton.
PC Duncan Johnson from the Dog Unit praised Snow's reliability, saying: “Snow has never let me down. If he tells me the offender is there, they will be there. I will always trust his instinct.”
Handler's Tribute
Johnson added: “We have been so lucky to have a police dog like Snow. He has been a credit to the force and I’m so proud to have been his handler. I’m thrilled that he has been recognised nationally for his incredible career. He deserves to win. He’s been the most perfect police dog and leaves some big paws to fill.”
Snow now enters retirement, with his legacy of service and commendations marking a distinguished career that his handler says will be hard to match.
