A North Yorkshire Police dog handler has spoken of her gratitude to the charity supporting her retired ‘superhero’ police dog as he prepares for surgery.

PC Claire Starkey has thanked the Thin Blue Paw Foundation for stepping in to fund vital treatment after six-year-old German Shepherd Miki suffered a serious injury.

Claire said: “I am super grateful for the charity.

“Miki was my superhero at work, and I owe it to him to make sure he has the best retirement possible.

“The support they’ve given us is a massive relief.”

Miki served North Yorkshire Police between March 2021 and October 2025.

Excellent tracker

Claire said: "He was a pleasure to work with and we had some fantastic results; tracking suspects from vehicles, finding vulnerable missing people, locating missing children, and also finding key items of property discarded from burglaries.

“Miki was an excellent tracker, and I could always rely on him to find what needed to be found and detain who needed to be detained."

Last year, he was forced to retire after being diagnosed with hip dysplasia, spondylosis of the spine and a ruptured cruciate ligament, which required surgery funded by the Force.

After recovering well and settling into retirement with Claire and her family in Northallerton, Miki recently became lame again.

Claire’s fear his other cruciate ligament had ruptured was confirmed.

Handler Claire Starkey with dogs Jax (left) and Miki

Unlike during his service, the responsibility for treatment now rests with Claire. The required Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy (TPLO) surgery is expected to cost around £2,500.

The Thin Blue Paw Foundation, a charity that supports, rehabilitates, and advocates for working and retired police dogs across the UK, is covering the costs.

It has launched an urgent fundraising appeal to raise £5,000 to pay for Miki’s surgery and for treatment for Retired Police Dog Kenai.

Kenai, 7, worked as a general-purpose and firearms support dog with the Force for six years before retiring at the end of last year.

His owners, who also work for North Yorkshire Police, were settling into retired life well with him when, on Saturday (9 May), he broke his leg in an accident.

Surgery

Miki will undergo surgery on Friday at Pennine Veterinary Referrals in Richmond, where Kenai was also recently treated.

Charity founder Kieran Stanbridge said: “Miki and Kenai both served with enthusiasm and commitment during their time with the police, but the job has taken a toll on their bodies and they’ve been left in daily pain due to arthritis and hip dysplasia.

“Now they both need surgery to repair these major injuries so they can run and play again. They’ve both got long lives ahead, and we want to ensure they can enjoy them to the fullest.

“We’re incredibly proud to be there for Miki and Kenai, but we need your help, so please donate if you can – every single pound will go to good use.”

Claire said: “When he retired, I signed up to the Thin Blue Paw Foundation mainly for help with long-term pain medication and joint support.

Police dogs

“I never expected the other ligament to go so quickly, but they’ve stepped in and taken on the full financial burden. It means everything.”

Beyond these individual cases, the Thin Blue Paw Foundation is also campaigning for formal pensions for retired police dogs.

It has launched a petition calling on the Government to introduce mandatory financial support for retired police dogs, recognising the lifelong medical needs many face after years of operational service. More information about the campaign is available via the Thin Blue Paw Foundation website.

Claire said she fully backed the campaign.

She said: “I would 100 per cent support a pension for police dogs. They give everything during their working lives, and they deserve proper support once they retire.”

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