Metropolitan Police Wellbeing Dog, Dexter, is to be honoured by vet charity PDSA for his life-changing devotion to duty and service to society. The three-year-old black Labrador is the first full-time Wellbeing Dog to support staff in need in the Police Force.
The PDSA Order of Merit* celebrates extraordinary animals who demonstrate the unique bond between animals and humans – a bond that is PDSA’s mission to protect. Police Dog (PD) Dexter is to be awarded the PDSA Order of Merit at a special ceremony in London, on 14 July, alongside four other incredible dogs who will also receive the same prestigious medal.
PD Dexter’s job – which was created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic – is to support the mental health and wellbeing of Police Officers and staff in the Metropolitan Police, including Emergency Response Teams, and the NHS. PD Dexter, along with his handler Police Constable Mike Sheather, help frontline Police Officers who may be struggling both personally and professionally with the intense pressures of the job, in particular after dealing with traumatic incidents. PD Dexter’s visits provide support and comfort, opening up conversations, and providing a visual and physical source of reassurance, as individuals discuss their mental health struggles.
Nina Downing, PDSA Vet Nurse, said: “PD Dexter’s unstinting devotion to duty and the difference he makes to those working in our Police and Emergency Services means he is a thoroughly deserving recipient of the PDSA Order of Merit. PD Dexter is a wonderful example of how animals can improve our wellbeing and assist those most in need of support. With his outstanding devotion to duty, PD Dexter gives hope, comfort, reassurance and vital mental health assistance to hundreds of people.”
Detective Sergeant Kara Morgan, who nominated PD Dexter for the PDSA Order of Merit said: “PD Dexter embodies everything that there is about what a dog can do for us, not just for the Police but for society in general. Working in areas such as child protection means dealing with heavy-hitting cases that stay on your mind. PD Dexter brings with him the power of happiness, those feel-good vibes you get when you interact with a dog. Bringing him in the workplace brings light to those dark moments.”
Dexter was born and bred in the Metropolitan Police Service and was originally trained to be a Passive Scan Drugs Dog, but failed the course due to his over-friendly nature! His career may have ended there, but in summer 2020, his sweet personality meant he was ideally placed to raise morale and improve wellbeing at a time of unprecedented stress and challenge. His first visits were to frontline staff across the Police Force and NHS in London who were dealing with the dire repercussions of the Covid-19 crisis.
PC Sheather and PD Dexter have completed more than 350 visits across the Metropolitan Police, including Emergency Response Teams, those involved in counter-terrorism and preventing child exploitation.
Superintendent Emma Richards of the Dog Support Unit was responsible for appointing PD Dexter to help support mental wellbeing in the Metropolitan Police, at his handler’s suggestion. She said: “In July 2020 PC Mike Sheather took this fledgling idea and developed it into what it has become today. He and PD Dexter have completed over 350 wellbeing visits and ensured vulnerable individuals are recognised and receive the support they need and deserve from the organisation and outside agencies. We are hugely proud of the contribution PC Sheather and PD Dexter have achieved together, and for PD Dexter to be awarded the PDSA Order of Merit is fantastic recognition of the vital role he plays in this wellbeing process.”
Commenting on the award, PC Sheather, a trauma-support trained mental health first-aider, said: “Dexter absolutely loves socialising, is very happy to be stroked, and will lean into people. We are a great team, his canine magic uplifts people and gives me a gateway to talk to them about dealing with their mental health and wellbeing. Dexter means the world to me, and I am very proud that that he will be receiving the PDSA Order of Merit and for him to be recognised in such a manner.”
The citation for Dexter’s award reads: ‘For outstanding devotion to duty as a Wellbeing Dog, with the Metropolitan Police Service’.
