THE NEW arrivals at West Midlands Police dog unit have been named after inspirational policewomen.
Lizzie, Kay, Campbell, Gray and Ash are the force’s latest litter of German Shepherd puppies.
Two retired officers were invited to the dog training centre at Balsall Common where they were surprised with the news the puppies would be named after them.
Elizabeth and Kay met Police Puppies Lizzie and Kay and were both delighted the pups would be named after them.
Retired dog handler Elizabeth joined West Midlands Police in 1973 and in 1979 she joined the dog unit and was partnered with Czar, a German Shepherd.
Together they formed a successful team and on their first shift even found two burglars in a pitch-black scrapyard in Birmingham.
Kay joined the Mounted Unit as one of the first female officers in 1984 policing football matches and disorders before retiring in 1997.
The two women were also joined by dog unit Inspector Rachel Crump.
She said: “It was a real honour to welcome both Elizabeth and Kay to our training centre.
“They got to meet some of our working dogs and we finished the visit by surprising them with meeting the puppies. It was a very special moment.
“Our dogs and their handlers are integral to the work that we do in keeping the West Midlands safe and catching criminals.
“The team including our kennel staff and volunteers are so passionate about our police dogs and puppies. The bond really is unbreakable.
“I can’t wait to see how these puppies get on. We hope that they grow to be as inspirational as the very women they were all named after.”
The pups will shortly take the next ‘paw’ steps of their police training and over the coming weeks they will go off to stay volunteers in their temporary homes.
