Battle-scarred police dog back on beat

By Sandra Conchie
He's got a floppy ear, a crooked face and is regarded as the "ugliest dog" on the squad - but Ben's crime fighting nous is rated second to none.
The battle-scarred, four-year-old Tauranga police dog is back on the beat this week after recovering from a vicious attack last month.
He was whacked on his nose by a man wielding a claw hammer during a pursuit at Matamata on March 26 and required emergency treatment and eight stitches.
Ben's handler, Constable Derek Orchard, suffered a blow to his right temple during the incident after he went to his dog's aid but luckily neither has suffered any lasting effects.
"Quite the reverse in fact. But Ben's never been one to shy away from anything or anyone. He's a fantastic dog, who has always been highly motivated to retrieve, right from the outset. He's intelligent and displays all the characteristics you would ever want in a police dog."
Mr Orchard said Ben's crime fighting credentials truly came to the fore on the morning of March 26 when despite bleeding profusely from a large gaping wound on his nose, his professional instincts kicked in.
"He showed true grit and loyalty and remained totally focused on the job at hand and went straight back to restrain and apprehend the offender."
It was only then, Ben fell quiet and a vet was called, he said.
"I am so proud of him but I was really worried too because of the serious blood loss but, luckily, a vet who lived just down the road arrived on the scene in minutes and sedated Ben and treated him at a clinic nearby."
The attack happened at 5am as Mr Orchard and Ben were trying to catch a man who allegedly failed to stop for police when spotted in an unregistered, unwarranted car at the top of the Kaimai Range.
Mr Orchard saw the car again in Matamata but the man jumped out and fled. After an extended chase through several streets, the offender jumped a 2m fence, closely followed by Ben who was clubbed with a claw hammer when he caught up with the man and began yelping.
Mr Orchard was hit as he stepped in to protect Ben who was "engaged in mortal combat" with the offender.
Mr Orchard said the attack was particularly upsetting for his wife Kym and his two children Brennan, 9, and Daemon, 7, especially when he and Ben returned home covered in blood.
"I have been in a few scrapes in my nine years on the force but it is the first time Ben has been injured in the line of duty. We are a team and when one of your team gets hurt you really feel for each other.
"It was really heart-warming to have received the 100 plus letters and cards from well-wishers up and down the country, many asking after Ben and wanting to know more about him."
Unlike some dogs specially bred for the force, Mr Orchard said Ben was rescued from the Rotorua pound's death row in July 2004 after he was found chained to a fence in very poor state of health.
"He was nearly put down twice but luckily a pound officer, a former police dog handler, recognised Ben's potential."
He wasn't the most handsome dog in the world but Ben took to training really quickly and graduated in October 2004 after just four months.
Mr Orchard said most police dogs take 8-12 months to train and some never make the grade. But Ben has proved his worth and was a vital member of Tauranga's Armed Offenders Squad. On average two people a year are charged with injuring a police dog.
Head of Tauranga and Whakatane's dog unit, Acting Senior Sergeant Paul Selby, said no one was sure how Ben would react once he returned to work.
"But we were confident that it would be business as usual and he didn't let us down. Just like the rest of our unit, Ben's a top dog."
* A 34-year-old Palmerston North man remains in custody, facing multiple charges including assaulting a police officer and injuring a police dog.