No bark to Buster, dog who snubbed cop: laid off, spurs puns

You want me to chase villains? You must think I'm barking

Licking the bad guys was the aim... but 'pussycat' police dog Buster took it literally

Lucy Harvey

HAPLESS police dog Buster has been hounded out of the South Yorkshire force for wagging work once too often.

Despite a £25,000 year-long training course, the two-year-old German Shepherd snoozed during a missing person's search, befriended a bunch of drunks, and relieved himself during an arrest.
After his handler, PC David Stephenson, reported Buster's behaviour, the force decided the dog - who doesn't bark - will be better off leading a quiet family life.

"Buster's a lovely animal. He's loyal and obedient, and he certainly looked the part - but he was never cut out to be a police dog," said PC Stephenson.

"He went through all the training, and seemed to be on course till he came out with me on operational duties. I could tell right from the beginning that his heart wasn't really in it.
"If there was a confrontation late at night, I could sense he didn't want to be there. He wouldn't bark or react - he'd just wag his tail, and keep a low profile."

The first sign of trouble came during a search for a missing person in Rotherham countryside, when Buster ignored a trail of footprints, curled up in the grass and closed his eyes.
When he was taken to a drunken row outside a bar he wagged his tail as some of the yobs tried to stroke him.

And when called to a burglary at 3am, he walked past the thief who was hiding in the garden, and cocked his leg against a wall during the arrest.

"You certainly don't want your dog to bite anyone, but you need to know he's going to defend you if the going gets tough and I didn't feel I could count on Buster," said PC Stephenson, a married father of-four.

"He just wanted to be everybody's friend. That's fine if it's a domestic pet, but I didn't want him making friends with offenders at three in the morning.

"I felt I was stabbing him in the back when I put in the report, but really I had no choice after the last incident with the intruder.

"I knew roughly where the man was hiding, but Buster walked past him, then laid down, and left me to it.

"I managed to find the bloke myself, and take him into custody, but Buster just wasn't interested."

Acting Sgt John Ellis, a dog instructor at the force kennels, approved the final decision to discharge Buster from the ranks last week.

"We spend a lot of time and money training police dogs to the very highest standard, and the decision to let him go wasn't taken lightly," he said.

"I spent two whole days assessing Buster. He's a smashing dog, with a lovely, even temperament. He was keen to please everyone he met - and really that was the whole problem.
"He was more interested in making friends with people than doing the job."

Buster has now found a new home in Dore, Sheffield, with retired civil servant Norton Arnould and his wife, Jane, who had been without a pet since their nine-year-old German Shepherd, Sian, was put down in June.

"He's so laid back, and he behaves impeccably all the time, but I don't suppose that's very surprising when you realise how much it cost to train him," said Mr Arnould, 68.
"We found out via a neighbour that Buster was in need of a new life, and the moment I saw him I knew he was for us.

"He might be too soft to be a police dog, but he really is the perfect pet."

17 October 2005