No Kirsty to be honest I can't because when I arrived at the training centre the first thing I would have done was put my dogs in the kennels there. No matter how stressed I was my dogs wouldn't be forgotten and if I had no reason to have them with me at work that day, I would have left them at home.
I can understand he felt like topping himself when he remembered the dogs and thought "Sh*t I'm a f******g moron how the hell am I going to explain this AGAIN.

Reminds me of a time last year when when I was driving along a 40mph main road.....

Up ahead I spotted a dog staggering about, NOBODY ahead stopped, but instead swerved it, apart from me.

I got out, put the hazzards on and managed to get a hold of the dog - the poor bitch had obviously had umpteen litters, looked like she was never walked and was covered in scars and scratches. She looked older, too. She had a scabby looking collar on, no tag. She was wondering about and looked very confused - she may well have been hit already.

I always keep spare leads in the car, just in case, and manage to get one of them on her. She was a poor wee soul and looked like she could've been a PB or maybe just a Staffie cross or something, couldn't be sure but she was a big girl. I couldn't risk putting her in my car - I had a boot full of stuff and my own dogs in the car at the time (dogs were in the back with their car harnesses on).

I phoned the police and sat on the edge of the road with her, just stroking her, she whimpered but was absolutely no bother, she just lay down beside me.

Police came and wouldn't touch her as they thought she was a PB and, therefore, might attack them. (I just said Staffie cross on the phone). In the end, I offered to put her in to the back of the car for them, seeing as they were being big jessies about itand wouldn't touch her.

Yep, they were two, great big strapping men too! Big wimps.

Shocking that anyone could be afraid of dogs.................

Especially if they have to attend the results of dog attacks................... difficult to understand really isn't it?

Thing is they're afraid of water too and stand by while a kid drowns, doesn't inspire much trust and faith.

Fair enough being scared of dogs but when that dog is sitting quietly with someone other than it's owner it tends to give a bit of a clue that it's not about to rip their throats out

Yes, very!
It is part of their job!
Unless they have had no training in dealing with dogs of course, then obviously the blame lies higher up.

Not all policemen will have training with dogs, like not all policemen will have training in driving pursuit cars, diving or many othe specialisms.

I wonder if the tax payer will be happy to foot the bill for the extra training required over and above the every day?

Exactly.

I more or less said that to them. That if she was going to bite someone, she'd probably have done it by now.

Well it was fortunate for both them and the dog you were there wasn't it?

I had a very stressful job & the salary was less than an 18 year old Police Officer starts on, things I saw were sickening & abuse was almost daily(physically as well as verbal/mental)

Another female doing the same job as me, was raped, strangled & disembowelled & her body was chopped up. The first police officer on the scene was a dog handler I knew(the murder was in Telford)from WTrials. After he & several colleagues finally arrested the killer & he was taken into custody, all the police officers who had been to the scene, were physically sick, my friend said that he had been to some horrific scenes before, but nothing like what was done to the young woman.

Did this case make front page headlines-nope our Union was in dispute with the Government & Thatcher personally issued a D notice to the Media to prevent anything being published.

When the Court Case was reported nothing of what actually happened mentioned & the young woman was totally wrongly described as a"health"worker so that there was no chance of her real occupation gaining the public's attention & sympathy for the danger that we worked in.

Maybe I should have used the pressure/stress etc this caused me(& all my colleagues)to get early retirement & excuse negligent behaviour-no chance-we were actually told it was a one off. Two days after she was killed, I was attacked & battered unconscious, had my leg broken in 3 places just for knocking on someone's door !! I was told by my employer that it was my fault as I must have upset my attacker !! & I should"get over it"

Nowhere near as dangerous a job as a Police Officer, although I can't remember the last time one was raped & murdered

Can't you?

I think you do not have to go too far back in living memory to identify some that have been...................