Retired police dog spends his birthday rescuing a missing person

A retired police dog spent part of his birthday helping to find a missing person last month.

Bear, a 12-year-old German shepherd living in the United Kingdom, was celebrating his birthday with a long walk when he alerted his owners to a man “in dense undergrowth,” according to an Instagram post by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation.

“The man was confused, wet, and cold, and unable to get up,” the post continued. “Unbeknownst to RPD Bear, the man was a vulnerable missing person who officers had been searching for without success.”

The nonprofit shared that Bear’s quick actions helped the man receive assistance from local officers.

Bear’s owner, Julia Pope, a former police officer who adopted him in 2020 after his retirement from the Sussex Police, told The Guardian that Bear helped guide the man to a safe location where officers could further assist him.

They were soon able to reunite him with his family.

She called the rescue an “amazing stroke of luck.”

The Thin Blue Paw Foundation, a charity dedicated to protecting, celebrating, and rehabilitating both serving and retired police dogs across the U.K., according to its website, also praised Bear’s heroism in the Instagram post on Nov. 29.

“RPD Bear, you're a true hero, showing us that even in retirement, you can still save lives,” the nonprofit wrote. “Happy Birthday, Bear! 🎂🫶💙🇬🇧🐶.”