Award-winning dog handler praises inspirational pooch

20 May 2021

“I looked down at my hands and there was blood on them. I initially thought he’d been hit with a stick, but it was actually a machete. It could’ve been me on the receiving end of that, Stark essentially saved my life.”

West Midlands dog handler PC Paul Hopley, who has received the Force’s ‘Dog Action of the Year’ Award, alongside police dog Stark has told how “incredibly proud” he is of his furry four-legged partner.

The duo have been recognised for their bravery following an incident that took place last year which involved German shepherd Stark being attacked by an offender.

The pair were called to allotments where there had been reports of three males walking around with torches.

“After around 20 minutes, Stark indicated that he had found someone and when I ran round the corner to join him, he was being hit. I thought it was with a stick at first, he was waving it around and I couldn’t get near,” explained Paul, who has been in the Force for nearly 28 years and a dog handler for the past two-and-a-half.

“My main concern was for the dog. To be honest, I thought he was going to kill him.”

Paul says that despite being attacked, Stark, who was just two-year-old at the time, “never backed off”, persevering to detain the offender.

“Eventually I managed to spray him, then Stark and I both jumped on him,” Paul added.

Once the offender was being handled by fellow officers, a seriously injured Stark was blue-lighted to the local PDSA centre, where he was treated.

He had a total of nine deep cuts to the head, one of which had missed his eye by a small fraction, which meant he needed surgery and stitching.

“I didn’t realise the extent of his injuries at first,” says Paul, who actually went on to raise £2,000 for the PDSA following their care for Stark, “I was extremely concerned.”

Stark took around six weeks off work to recover in which time he unbelievably qualified as a firearms support dog, with the training managed due to risk of his injuries getting infected.

Paul added: “The first night back to work and it was as if the attack hadn’t affected him at all. In fact, he actually located a wanted offender who was hiding in a garden.

“I think that’s a reflection of his strength. He just got straight back on with the job.”

Paul and Stark have since received the award, which recognises them for their dedication and bravery.

“Stark deserves all the praise he can get,” says Paul, who says the bond he has with Stark is “something special”.

He added: “He was viciously attacked, and I dread to think what would’ve happened had he not been there. He protected me.”