A heartbreaking week has seen two of Northumbria Police's four-legged colleagues die just days apart.
Police dogs Krush and Kruger both died after long careers fighting crime in the North East - and their handlers spoke of how they had "played an absolutely crucial role" for the force. Both dogs were retired but had served the police for a combined 19 years.
Krush, who was 13, was a Dutch Herder and had been a general purpose police dog for a decade until he "hung up his lead" and retired in 2019. He was also a highly-trained firearms dog, though he shot to fame for another talent - his ability to balance Mini Cheddars on his nose - when a video of him balancing six of the snacks went viral.
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As a firearms dog, he was often sent into potentially dangerous buildings and situations ahead of officers, while he also showed his skill when he found a rifle buried deep in undergrowth and grabbed a burglars ankle as he tried to leap over a fence.
Krush's handler Pc Wayne Thompson, who has looked after him since he was just eight weeks old, said: "Krush was a real personality, a really friendly dog yet formidable while working and really intuitive at recognising bad characters. He could turn work mode on and off in an instant as and when required."
Meanwhile Kruger also died following a short illness. He was also a firearms dog for six years before he retired at the age of 10. His handler Pc Scott Mcentee said: “Kruger was a very loyal companion and had a high desire and drive to work.
"I handled him for over five years, during which time we achieved some great results."
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