Praise for rookie Police Dog Vega who tracked down alleged copper thieves in Connah’s Quay

North Wales & Cheshire Police Dog Alliance’s latest recruit, PD Vega, has made an impressive start to his career by assisting in the capture of three suspects in Connah’s Quay.

The incident unfolded on Friday when officers responded to reports of young males armed with tools stripping copper wire from the roof of the Lidl construction site.

According to the police, PD Vega, a Belgian Malinois who is only two weeks into his operational duty, played a crucial role in tracking the suspects.

The young police dog successfully followed the scent to a garden, where the suspects promptly surrendered upon hearing his approach.

In a Facebook post, North Flintshire Police praised the teamwork of the alliance dog unit, the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), and the response unit for their coordinated efforts.

“What an amazing way to start the shift and PD Vega’s career,” the post read.

“Teamwork from the alliance dog unit, NPT, and response for a great result and three in custody.”

“What a way to start the weekend! Stay safe,” concluded the police’s message to the community.

The three suspects were swiftly taken into custody.

Vital Role

The quick resolution of this incident underlines the vital role that dogs like PD Vega play in supporting police efforts.

PD Vega is one of the North Wales & Cheshire Police Dog Alliance’s general-purpose police dogs.

General-purpose police dogs are multi-disciplined canines trained to work under a variety of conditions.

Dog breeds used tend to be German Shepherds, Dutch Herders, or Malinois.

They have a depth of skills that includes searching for missing persons, tracking suspects from crime scenes, and recovering recently discarded articles that could be used as evidence.

They also protect their handlers and other officers in dangerous situations. Even the mere presence of these police dogs can be enough to discourage bad behaviour.

Most handlers in the North Wales & Cheshire Police Dog Alliance have a general-purpose dog and a specialist dog, such as a Labrador, Cocker, or Springer Spaniel.