A memorial to a police dog who saved his handlerโs life will be placed in a park in his home county, his owner has confirmed.
German shepherd Finn โ also known as Police Dog (PD) Finn โ suffered near-fatal injuries in 2016 when he confronted an armed suspect in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, while protecting his handler, PC Dave Wardell.
PC Wardell โ now retired โ was stabbed, but maintained that without Finnโs intervention, he could have been more seriously wounded.
Finn recovered, continued working briefly, but died in 2023 at the age of 14, and after a fundraising campaign, plans are now under way for a permanent statue to honour the dog.
Herts Police
The pair had been inseparable for eight years before the incident nearly tore them apart
In the early hours of 5 October 2016, PC Wardell โ then serving with Hertfordshire Constabulary โ and his German shepherd, Finn, were looking for a suspected armed robber who had held up a taxi driver at gunpoint.
The chase ended in an encounter which left Finn seriously wounded, and PC Wardell with a stab wound.
The assailant was jailed and both Finn and PC Wardell recovered, but the incident left its mark on both.
Since his own retirement, Mr Wardell has campaigned not only for a memorial to the dog who saved his life โ and all other service animals โ but for more recognition of all service animals.
A new law nicknamed โFinnโs Lawโ, came into effect in 2019, making it harder for those who harm service animals to claim they were acting in self-defence.
And Mr Wardellโs campaign for a memorial raised about ยฃ40,000, meaning plans are now in place for something to commemorate Finn โ and others like him.
Dave Wardell
Finn was seriously injured, protecting his handler from a youth with a knife
โIf youโve had a special bond with a dog โ or any animal โ youโll know,โ said Mr Wardell.
โI wouldnโt be here today, talking to you, if it wasnโt for him,โ he said, speaking about the new memorial.
โThis is his legacy โ this, and Finnโs Law.โ
Mr Wardell said he had now found the right sculptor to bring Finnโs legacy to life, but said it was โnot appropriateโ to release any details of the artist or the exact location at this time.
โThis is heartfelt and very important, and itโs going to live well beyond my years,โ he said.
โIt will give people the opportunity to go and pay their respects and hear Finnโs story.
โItโll give future generations the opportunity to find out more about his legacy and other police dogs that serve this country so greatly.โ
