Say hello to PC Rob-Lea Mountford and Police Dogs Tiger and Archie
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For our next Behind the Badge (Stoke-on-Trent), we caught up with dog handler PC Rob-Lea Mountford and Police Dogs Tiger and Archie. Now what’s that saying? Never work with animals? PC Mountford would beg to differ!
Rob, who has been part of our force family for 23 years, took on his ‘dream role’ as a dog handler in January 2017. He has also been a response officer and a neighbourhood officer in Stoke.
Six-year-old PD Tiger, a Dutch Herder and German Shepherd cross, is a general-purpose dog, who is drafted in for all sorts of incidents, from helping to search for missing people and property to vehicle pursuits and football matches.
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Rob’s other police dog is seven-year-old Labrador, PD Archie. He is a pro-active drugs dog and helps out with warrants and searches of open and enclosed areas for drugs, cash, firearms and ammunition.
Rob said: “I absolutely adore my job. I love working with the dogs and just wouldn’t want to do anything else. I grew up around dogs – my mother runs a dog grooming business.
“I love catching criminals, or finding someone in distress, or in need of help, with a police dog. It is a very demanding role, 24/7, but it’s so interesting and rewarding; and I adore the time I get to spend with the dogs. We’re a real team.”
Any officer who has completed their probation period can apply to be a dog handler. The process involves an interview, assessment and exam.
Following assessment, successful candidates complete a 13-week handler course. This training includes tracking, bite work, chase and detain, stand-off, obedience and agility work. They licence at the end of the course, which is a pass or fail.
They then undertake a four-week advanced driving course before completing a period of shadowing with an experienced dog handler.
Dogs live with the officers at home and it is a handler’s responsibility to look after their animal and make sure they are disciplined in their duty and in peak physical condition at all times.