Welfare support dogs for the Metropolitan Police Service. Supporting Officers & Staff with their mental health & wellbeing.Recipient of
@PDSA_HQ
Order of Merit.
I have a heavy heart ,full of sadness ...today, I was informed that a lovely person who Dexter & I met earlier this year, took her own life last night. If anyone is feeling suicidal , I urge you to reach out for help, there is a way back.
#SuicidePrevention
#MentalHealth
#Hope
Very humbled today-we thought we were turning up to support the immensely brave Officers who received recognition for detaining an armed suspect who stabbed 2 of the officers in Leicester Sq last yr. So proud Dex was recognised for his small part in the post incident support 💙😊
I am thinking at this point “please Dex , don’t bite HRH , please Dex , don’t jump up on HRH “ . Thankfully , I had a
#wellbeingdog
to calm me down 🤦♂️🐾🐾💙
Yes , it’s the same pic ... but I just find it really powerful ! How a dog can support those deployed in modern day policing
@metpoliceuk
@MPSCityAirport
. Maybe I am biased ‘coz he’s my pooch ... well, technically ,he belongs to Ma’am
@MetTaskforce
🤣
#WellbeingDogs
🐾🐾💙
Sorry , No cute pic of Dex I am afraid …
What a week so far , lots of attention in national media on our Uber professional firearms officers
@MPSFirearms
But very sadly this tragic event hasn’t made the tabloids or the news channels …
… Yesterday , I learned of yet another
Both PD Mika and PD Dexter were deployed to New Scotland Yard
@metpoliceuk
yesterday to assist in a bereavement support session .
One of our teams tragically lost a friend and colleague very suddenly recently.🥲💙
I am always impressed by how the presence of a trained Police
Dex was in a particularly cheeky mood today , I love this dog so much ! 🥰
He’s enabled me to signpost three Cops into professional mental health support in the last week - his results don’t involve heroic stories of detaining suspects or locating illicit substances and won’t
“Probationer “ peer support dog PD Mika is learning that part of her role is to support human colleagues as they remember a fallen , dear friend & colleague like PS Matt Ratana who was tragically taken from us 2 years ago . RIP 🙏🏻
@Try4Matt
#ThinBlueLine
@metpoliceuk
@OscarKiloUK
Dex bumped into 3 armed colleagues
@MPSFirearms
today just as they were heading out on patrol. One said “this has made my day “... that’s the effect that a peer support dog can have even on our highly trained armed officers. 🐾🐾🤙 6262CO
@MetTaskforce
@metpoliceuk
#ThinBlueLine
Monday ERPT COPS
@MPSBalham
@metpoliceuk
dealt with a victim crushed to death in a bin lorry , today , same Cops dealt with a “one under” at a train station = CUMULATIVE TRAUMA - Not your normal 9-5 I’d say - glad the
#furrystressbuster
could help offer some support along with
Dex and I have visited our armed colleagues
@metpoliceuk
several times over the past three years .
My thoughts are with all my armed Sisters and Brothers today
@MPSFirearms
and all those in other commands who “carry”.
You are all volunteers , you all do an amazing ,
Dex would like to wish all those who follow him & and those that don’t …
“A very , very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year !” 🎅🏼
We will back in January 2024, until then … Enjoy , have fun , stay safe and 🐝 kind to others . 6262CO
@MetTaskforce
@metpoliceuk
@mikesjoyce_mike
I had been privileged to be invited by a close friend of Keith’s who is now a good friend of mine ,to the wreath laying at the memorial of the late PC Keith Palmer GM
@metpoliceuk
.
So at 1440pm , we stood with heads bowed in silence to remember our fallen friend and colleague
Dex has been out over the last week providing 🐕peer support to all Cops & staff who have been working tirelessly to keep everyone safe. “Team of the day” today, goes to this lovely group of officers from
@Humberbeat
who made Dex their honorary WB
#K9
🐾🐾 6262CO
#ThinBlueLine
We were both honoured to have been part of this visit by HRH Prince William , Duke of Cambridge to commemorate an extraordinary man and a fellow “ Brother in Blue “ .
Never forgotten . RIP PS Matt Ratana .
#ThinBlueLine
@metpoliceuk
💙 6262CO
@MetTaskforce
On the evidence of the 😬😑🥰😁
@Ldn_Ambulance
crew he met this morning , Dex can’t believe that these dedicated people don’t have a Wellbeing dog 🐾🐾
@Ldn_Ambulance
🌈 A recent survey found ambulance crew have the highest rate of PTSD of all 3 999 services
#MentalHealthMatters
#WellbeingWednesday
again and Dex was on late turn parade with a team of our Traffic Cops
@MPSRTPC
. 🚓🏍️🐭
After parade , I enjoyed an old fashioned brew whilst Dex enjoyed the biccies 🤦♂️😂 , but what is important about this old tradition , is the opportunity it provides for
@TomGaymor
@metpoliceuk
Tom , Dex has met them too during Op.Bridges… Uber professional they are … but they still love a cooch with the Force welfare dog 🦾🤙🇬🇧💙
I owe Dex a massive apology 🤦♂️
The 24th August 2023 saw his 3 year anniversary as the full-time wellbeing & trauma support dog
@metpoliceuk
.
Sorry lad . Belated congratulations , you rock as The OG !! Very proud of what you have achieved , a recipient of the OOM
@PDSA_HQ
no
Both PD Mika and Dexter were deployed to our Police Training Academy today
@TrainingMPS
@metpoliceuk
This was to provide canine support to the friends and colleagues of the late PS Eddie Wong , who sadly passed on the 17th March after a short , heroic battle with the Big C .
Personally , I think all
#K9
handlers
@MetTaskforce
, regardless of your speciality , owe a huge debt of gratitude to this amazing , selfless person who is Emma , Co- Founder
@lrpduk
.I witnessed for myself today, the time and effort that Emma gives for this amazing charity
PWD’s Hugo & Daisy
@MetTaskforce
were spic’n’span to meet a very special person who is going to be sorely missed
@metpoliceuk
. In Dexter ‘s opinion , Ma’am is a “proper leader” of people & has worked tirelessly for her beloved Met. Good luck Ma’am 👏👏 Thank you !
#ThinBlueLine
Before Dex goes on his summer holiday , he’d like to introduce you all to his new team mate… !!!
PD Bess 🥰 Bess is a 30mth old Police bred blonde lab.
An absolutely lovely girl with a very playful personality , she’s a natural at wellbeing.
She’s already had an impact ,
Dex met the amazing , dedicated officers & staff of our Central Paedophile Unit
@metpoliceuk
this morning. I wish every cop in the Met had access to a splendid new wellbeing space. This team I think do deserve it though, I know I couldn’t view what they do & then have to go face
First tweet from Dex in a while , sorry , some of the work we have been doing to support others can’t be shared or just isn’t appropriate for pics and tweets.
However , “When Dexter met Bella” is a lovely pic to share . Dex met his sister PD Bella today , for the first time
Whilst Dex was @
#LambethHQ
, he met some colleagues from
#TSG
5:1
@MetTaskforce
. Really good to see male Officers from a specialist command buying in to what Dex can do. On this occasion, just a chilled distraction whilst they were on standby for a public order event. 6262CO
On behalf of the Wellbeing & Trauma Support Dog Team
@metpoliceuk
, I would like to wish all our followers a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year 🎅🏼Stay safe and be kind. We look forward to meeting new friends in 2023. Mike
@TomGaymor
@Brick_Cop
@Chappers2013
@OscarKiloNine
Dex’s 1st day back after 28 days & I wish I could say “he hit the ground running….More like he just hit the ground 4 lots of cooches”🤦♂️🤣Good to present to 250 civilians
@metpoliceuk
who look after our digital tech & raise awareness about
#MentalHealthMatters
6262
@MetTaskforce
Q. Could you investigate fatal road collisions as your “ 9-5” ??
I know my response, even with 30+ yrs Service , it’s an emphatic “ No”.
Dex spent some time today with the most amazing bunch of Cops
@MPSRTPC
@MPSMerton
@MPSBalham
who have the task of investigating the
Dex got to meet his little “mini-me’s” today … he looks like he’s proud of his little pack !! 🥰 He did wonder if they were edible 🤦♂️
Coming soon to the
@lrpduk
online gift shop are these cute little black lab plush toys 👌👏👏… like all merchandise sold by this amazing
I was lucky enough to be in the audience today at a well-being event organised by our L&D team
@metpoliceuk
and to listen to the words of a very wise man.
He relayed his own story of his personal journey with depression and how it had affected his career and his home life.
A day of two halves today for Dex
@MetTaskforce
. The morning found him
@MPSStokeNewton
@metpoliceuk
with a visit to the hardworking detectives on the burglary and robbery team - whose workload has increased due to many of their colleagues resigning - throw into the mix a certain
Dexter is taking the back seat this week as No.1 Furry Boy , “Heckers” , is on his FCD refresher.
Heckers said to me today “ Should’ve gone to Specsavers Dad - it’s
#Movember
not HoHoHovember “ 🎅🏼🤦♂️🤷🏼♂️
Well done if you’re growing a tache to raise awareness of
#prostate
cancer ,
Dex is having a well deserved break this week. I have always believed that my working dogs should be allowed to be “just dogs”when off duty🐕🐶 it’s important for their
#K9
#Wellbeing
. Bracing walk in the fields around the village in the 💨 &🌞
@TomGaymor
@Chappers2013
#Walker
This morning, Dex spent a couple of hours with all the Police Officers & civilian staff
@metpoliceuk
who were hard at work at the
#MetDetention
centre
@MPSColindale
. All 25 “en-suites” were occupied , so a very busy and challenging place to work for these hardworking
The end of a busy week for Dexter the
#furrystressbuster
@MetTaskforce
. Three days of deployments across
@metpoliceuk
, paying a visit to different Policing teams .
Thanks to him , I signposted three Officers into the relevant professional support agencies for them to get help
Introducing Trainee Wellbeing Dog PD “Mika” Mika was generously donated to
@MetTaskforce
by Danielle who owns Lynsted Labs. Mika is the 1st ever puppy to be trained by a UK Police Force to be a wellbeing & Peer support dog.She is 15wks old.🥰
@metpoliceuk
@OscarKiloNine
@PDSA_HQ