A puppy thought to have been abandoned by a breeder because he wasn't cute enough to sell has become a police sniffer dog. Chester the cocker spaniel was one of six puppies found dumped in a cage on the roadside by a member of the public earlier this year.
The two terrier crossbreed and four cocker spaniel puppies, including four-month-old Chester, were picked up by RSPCA officers after they were found in Hersden, Kent in January. RSPCA inspector Clive Hopwood said: “It’s very possible these puppies were abandoned by a breeder.
"We believe these puppies may have failed to sell so they were abandoned having passed their ‘cute’ stage when they’re most marketable and most valuable.” Chester was described as having "huge energy levels" and proved difficult to rehome.
Sarah Piggott, who works for the RSPCA and fostered Chester, said: “No amount of walking or enrichment seemed to exhaust him. I realised he had a real drive for searching and sniffing things out when he’d easily find other dogs’ lost tennis balls on walks and kept bringing them to me.”
In March, Chester was taken in by Surrey Police and began the process of training to become a sniffer dog with a special foster family. Ms Piggott said she was “so proud” of her former foster puppy and added she is “thrilled” he has finally been rehomed.
“Chester has done really well and caught up to the other puppies who were bred to be sniffer dogs and started their training before him,” Ms Piggott said. “I’m so proud of him and I’m thrilled that he’s found a home where he can do what he loves every day while being well looked after.”
After completing a six-week intensive training course, PD Chester became a licensed police sniffer dog in October and he was celebrated at a ceremony at Surrey Police HQ. Surrey Police operational and dog school manager Geoff Wiltshire said: “Chester has been amazing since he arrived with us.
“He has gone from strength to strength and has done really well to pass his digital detection course. Our standards are very high and he has proven himself to have all the necessary qualities to succeed in this important role."
