Former police dog that worked with The Queen offers wellbeing support for officers

21 May 2021

A retired police dog that has helped protect the likes of Her Majesty, The Queen and Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now providing wellbeing support to officers and their loved ones.

Cindy, known as ‘Princess Cindy’ to the Force, is enjoying a life making people happy, having waved goodbye to a nine-year career as an explosive detection dog.

The 11-year-old springer spaniel is part of the recently launched Oscar Kilo Wellbeing and Trauma Support Dogs Project, supporting officers with their mental health.

“She absolutely loves people,” says Cindy’s owner, PC Ian Sweeney, who has been a dog handler for the past 12 years, having joined the Force nearly 28 years ago.

“She has an incredible temperament. Obviously in her working life, she was required to be clever and gentle. The nature of her job meant going in and out of stately homes and detecting explosives.”

As well as Her Majesty, The Queen, Cindy’s list of important people she has protected includes multiple members of the Royal family, like HRH The Prince of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Her professional duties also include working at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland, the City of Culture events in Hull and supporting officers in Northern Ireland.

Upon her retirement in October 2019, Cindy was awarded with the K9 Memorial Medal for her bravery and service.

“This is a good transition for a dog like Cindy. You can’t just stop a dog from working, you can see it in the determination and dedication in their eyes,” says Ian, adding: “Cindy still thinks she’s working, even though she’s not an explosives dog anymore.

“She loves being patted and getting the attention. It’s as much for her wellbeing as it is for us humans.”

Cindy now volunteers as a wellbeing dog and Ian says you can see the positive impact she has on officers just by looking at their faces.

“When Cindy visits, you can see people’s faces light up,” says Ian, who explains that his colleagues always ask for his four-legged friend whenever he goes into work without her.  

“She seems to transfer her warmth and kindness. If people are feeling low, or suffering in silence, dogs like Cindy encourage them to talk.

“I honestly think it’s key getting dogs like Cindy involved with the Force. I think it could save us millions of pounds and lost working hours, as they provide such a great help to the wellbeing of staff.

“Dogs like Cindy help me every day with my wellbeing. Life in the police isn’t just about catching criminals, we need to make sure we look after our own health too.”

Ian says that Cindy has especially had a real impact on staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially for those who have felt isolated over the past year.

“I’ve heard people say that a visit from Cindy helps people feel re-connected,” adds Ian.

“And it’s not just people on the frontline, it’s those working elsewhere, like staff who have to spend their day examining evidence. Sometimes, a visit from Cindy uplifts them and provides them with a much-needed break.”

Ian admits that Cindy will continue to provide her wellbeing service for as long as she can. He says: “Cindy will do this for as long as her health allows. To be honest, she’ll probably do it up until the day I retire.

“For me, every day that I work with Cindy is a great day.”

Health and wellbeing manager at Humberside Police, Sandy Powdrell says that following the success of Cindy, they are now hoping to get two more dogs signed up to make regular visits to the Force.

“Based on the feedback we’ve had so far, it’s all very positive,” added Sandy, “Simply stroking a dog has been proven to be good for a person’s mental health, even if it just means them getting away from their work for 10 minutes or so.

“Dogs like Cindy help to break down barriers and get people talking. The Oscar Kilo Wellbeing and Support Dog Scheme is a really positive project to be part of.”