Back on the Beat at Home: Retired Police Dog Riley Gets a Life-Saving Second Chance
By Animals Correspondent
A charity has helped save the life of a retired police dog who was seriously ill with a septic joint, stepping in to pay the bill for the expensive treatment he needed to give him a chance at survival.
Twelve-year-old German Shepherd RPD Riley was rushed to the emergency vet on November 30th suffering from sepsis in an infected wound which caused an abscess and turned septic.
The Thin Blue Paw Foundation – a UK charity that supports working and retired police dogs across the UK – stepped in to help Riley’s owner, Sgt Scott Riley, cover the costs of the expensive treatment (more than £7,000) he needed to save his life.
Chairman Kieran Stanbridge said: “Riley was seriously ill when his owners rushed him to the vets and it was touch and go whether he’d pull through.
“It wasn’t initially clear whether surgery would help clear up the infection and it was looking like Scott and his partner, Sarah, might have to say goodbye to Riley.
“But we knew we needed to give him a chance and we liaised with the veterinary team caring for him and felt there was a chance for Riley and we offered to cover the full cost of surgery and follow-up treatment to give him a chance.”
He underwent life-saving surgery on Saturday December 6th where vets cleaned and flushed out the wound, and he returned home to his family on Tuesday 9th December.
Now, against all the odds, RPD Riley is back at home in Derby with Scott and Sarah, who are looking forward to spending another Christmas with their best friend.
Scott, 46, is Roads Policing Sgt with Derbyshire Police, where Riley served as a general purpose dog for four years. Scott was heartbroken when he thought he might lose his best friend.
He said: “Riley has some areas of tough skin on his elbows but we noticed on Friday (28th November) that one was cracked leaving an open wound so we took him to the vets where they gave us some spray to help it heal.
“But by Sunday, Riley had dramatically gone downhill and we rushed him back to the emergency vets. They gave him antibiotics but he didn’t recover and by Tuesday morning (2nd December), he couldn’t eat, drink or stand. He was dying in front of us.
“We rushed him back to the vets and we had a difficult conversation with them there. I contacted the Thin Blue Paw Foundation for advice and support and, within five minutes, they were available to help us.”
Scott added: “Unfortunately, without the charity’s help, I think we would have had to make the very difficult decision to stop Riley’s treatment. It felt like we were in a rabbit hole that we were never going to get out.
“As well as covering the cost of the lifesaving emergency surgery, the Foundation really helped us to navigate our way through the process, explaining technical jargon and giving us context around the information we were getting from the vets.
“Having a meeting with Riley’s vet and the Thin Blue Paw gave us clarity and helped us reach the right decision for Riley.
“We are so grateful to the Thin Blue Paw for undoubtedly saving his life. We are hoping for many more years with our boy.”
Scott served alongside Riley and his handler, PC Andy Bailey, and offered him a home when he retired in 2022.
He said: “He was a wonderful dog and, as my namesake, I felt we had to offer him a home.”
Riley, who served with the Metropolitan Police for four years before transferring to Derbyshire, received a highly commended certificate at the 2021 Thin Blue Paw Awards, along with his handler and fellow PD Tilly.
Scott added: “Since retiring, Riley has become my shadow.
“He not only has his loving mum and dad but two sets of grandparents who adore him, and who he frisks most days for treats in their pockets!”
