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Handler – PC Andy Brigland
Hertfordshire Constabulary’s first police sniffer dog ‘will be missed terribly’
Hertfordshire Constabulary’s first passive drugs detection dog has passed away after a short illness. PD Zak the Collie, who reached the grand age of 17, died peacefully in the company of his former handler PC Andy Brigland, who still works with the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Dog Unit. Zak completed his training in 2001 at Durham Constabulary. The training for such a role involved Zak being able to identify various types of controlled substances whilst they were hidden in concealed areas. By the end of his course, Zak was able to detect traces of controlled drugs on people even as they rushed by in a crowd. His outstanding sense of smell was used at various locations around the county and country. Zak and Andy assisted at a number of operations in London, Essex and the Thames Valley area, as well as in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Later, Zak’s nose was further harnessed when he was trained to locate weapons and money, in addition to finding drugs.He worked with Andy until the age of 11 when he retired but remained his canine companion at home. Andy said: “At the end I made sure Zak was completely happy and at ease. We went for a walk in his favourite woods and allowed him to eat everything that he could desire. “He went to sleep peacefully laying in his bed whilst I held him.“Zak was a fantastic dog and his ability to be dual-trained in both a passive and proactive capacity, as well as his success in finding numerous drugs, weapons and cash, is testament to his fantastic character and skills. I will miss him terribly.”
