animal rights

A police dog has died after falling from a roof during a training exercise 




Baron, a five-year-old German shepherd, was with his handler at a disused building in Danbury, Essex, on Monday when he fell.

An Essex Police spokeswoman said he was injured and was taken to a vet for treatment, but "sadly he had to be put to sleep".

She said Baron's "handler and family are understandably very upset" and that a review of what happened had begun.

She said the German shepherd had been paired with his handler for the last four years and "while working together, they have made many arrests".

Supt Steve Johnson said that "as a former member of the dog unit myself, I know the strong bond between a police officer and his dog".

"Whilst they are working dogs, they also become a close and important member of the police officer's family," he said.

"This is a very sad occasion."