{"id":7564,"date":"2024-12-01T10:03:57","date_gmt":"2024-12-01T10:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news4you.fit\/?p=7564"},"modified":"2024-12-01T10:03:57","modified_gmt":"2024-12-01T10:03:57","slug":"simon-cowell-crying-with-heroic-police-dog-finn-moves-the-judges-to-tears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news4you.fit\/?p=7564","title":{"rendered":"Simon Cowell Crying With Heroic police dog Finn moves the Judges to tears"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A memorial to a police dog who saved his handler\u2019s life will be placed in a park in his home county, his owner has confirmed.<\/p>\n

German shepherd Finn \u2013 also known as Police Dog (PD) Finn \u2013 suffered near-fatal injuries in 2016 when he confronted an armed suspect in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, while protecting his handler, PC Dave Wardell.<\/p>\n

PC Wardell \u2013 now retired \u2013 was stabbed, but maintained that without Finn\u2019s intervention, he could have been more seriously wounded.<\/p>\n

Finn recovered, continued working briefly, but\u00a0died in 2023\u00a0at the age of 14, and after a fundraising campaign, plans are now under way for a permanent statue to honour the dog.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Herts Police<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The pair had been inseparable for eight years before the incident nearly tore them apart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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In the early hours of 5 October 2016, PC Wardell \u2013 then serving with Hertfordshire Constabulary \u2013 and his German shepherd, Finn, were looking for a suspected armed robber who had held up a taxi driver at gunpoint.<\/p>\n

The chase ended in an encounter which left Finn seriously wounded, and PC Wardell with a stab wound.<\/p>\n

The assailant was jailed and both Finn and PC Wardell recovered, but the incident left its mark on both.<\/p>\n

Since his own retirement, Mr Wardell has campaigned not only for a memorial to the dog who saved his life \u2013 and all other service animals \u2013 but for more recognition of all service animals.<\/p>\n

A new law nicknamed\u00a0\u201cFinn\u2019s Law\u201d, came into effect in 2019, making it harder for those who harm service animals to claim they were acting in self-defence.<\/p>\n

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And Mr Wardell\u2019s campaign for a memorial raised about \u00a340,000, meaning plans are now in place for something to commemorate Finn \u2013 and others like him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Dave<\/div>\n
Dave Wardell<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Finn was seriously injured, protecting his handler from a youth with a knife<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\u201cIf you\u2019ve had a special bond with a dog \u2013 or any animal \u2013 you\u2019ll know,\u201d said Mr Wardell.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t be here today, talking to you, if it wasn\u2019t for him,\u201d he said, speaking about the new memorial.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is his legacy \u2013 this, and Finn\u2019s Law.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Wardell said he had now found the right sculptor to bring Finn\u2019s legacy to life, but said it was \u201cnot appropriate\u201d to release any details of the artist or the exact location at this time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is heartfelt and very important, and it\u2019s going to live well beyond my years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will give people the opportunity to go and pay their respects and hear Finn\u2019s story.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll give future generations the opportunity to find out more about his legacy and other police dogs that serve this country so greatly.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n