Police dog and North Wales handler named as UK's top crime fighting duo

PC Kelly Walker, 37, from Broughton, Flintshire and her police dog Bart, have won the Thin Blue Paw Award for Best Crime Fighting Duo.

PC Walker joined the police in 2006 and worked as a response officer for 11 years but always dreamed of being a dog handler.

She joined the Cheshire and North Wales Police Dog Unit in 2017 – part of the Cheshire and North Wales Alliance – and was partnered with Dutch herder PD Bart, now seven, who’d been transferred from West Midlands Police.

“It was my ambition as a little girl to be a dog handler, and I’ve stuck with it," she said.

"My family would say it’s because they wouldn’t let me have a dog as a child. Now, I can’t believe that I get to do my dream job every day.”

Kelly – mum to nine-year-old Thomas and stepmother to 19-year-old Jayden – also has a three-year-old springer spaniel, PD Bryn, who works as a sniffer dog. But she has a special bond with Bart.

“He’s so loyal, determined and fearless; he’s a proper partner in crime.” she said.

“He can also be very cheeky and troublesome too, though.”

And Kelly was nominated by her partner and fellow police officer, PC Martin Jones, for the inaugural Thin Blue Paw Awards; organised by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation.

He put the two forward for the best crimefighting duo award which celebrates a serving police dog and handler team who are constantly achieving outstanding operational results.

Martin said: “Kelly and Bart support all units in both police forces; which is no mean feat.

"Due to policing an area with the second largest footprint in the country, she can regularly be travelling long distances.

"She supports units who need help, new dog handlers, shares her vast knowledge and is never one to shy away from a job. She consistently shows her determination and mental strength, and is very deserving of this award.”

The general purpose dog provides support to police officers, helping with tracking and searching, as well as detaining suspects. The pair also qualified to work in firearms support, helping the firearms response team on high-pressure call-outs.

The duo was called to a North Wales incident in May 2021 after a domestic violence incident and were sent to track a man who had assaulted his partner and threatened an off-duty police officer, who stepped in to try to help, with a large knife.

Kelly explained: “The man made off with his victim and with a knife so we were incredibly concerned about their welfare. We found them together and took her to safety but then he made off again. Bart found him hiding in thick undergrowth; the drone couldn’t see him but Bart knew he was there.

“While he was tracking him he put his paw through a pane of glass and sliced his toe in half. But he carried on searching and protecting me from the suspect, armed with a knife, who was potentially dangerous. He wouldn’t give up, despite his injury, which just goes to show how tenacious he is.”

Bart was then taken for veterinary care and made a full recovery.

As well as their day job, Kelly and Bart are also committed to helping police dogs across the country. They were chosen to work with a specialist company to create lightweight body armour which is now being rolled out across the force dog unit and, they hope, will eventually be used across the UK.

Kelly said: “When Finn’s Law was introduced, it made us all aware of giving our dogs extra protection. Bart and I were chosen to trial different armours and worked with a design firm to develop one that the dogs can wear as a harness which is lightweight, doesn’t restrict his agility or temperature, and is bullet, stab and slash-proof.

“He is my partner; we’ve built such a bond. I’m with him more than my family! And I want to keep him – and all of the other service dogs – safe.”

Bart wearing his body armour.

Kieran Stanbridge – trustee of the Thin Blue Paw Foundation, said: “Kelly and Bart go above and beyond on a daily basis to not only do their day job which involves fighting crime, keeping the public safe and bringing criminals to justice, but also go so much further.

“They’ve both shown their commitment to the job that they do, as well as to making a change and improving the lives of police dogs working today and in the future to keep our public safe. We’re so proud of them and we’re thrilled to name them as the UK’s best crimefighting duo!”

Find out more about the Thin Blue Paw Foundation and the awards at www.thinbluepaw.org.uk/awards.