“Ultimately my role is about keeping a dog’s welfare at the forefront of my mind while making sure the public are protected from those dogs that have the potential to be dangerous."

PC Craig Leach has been a Dog Legislation Officer since 2019. While most of his time is spent investigating dangerous dog offences, there are many different aspects to the role.

“From cases of malnourished or mistreated dogs to ones where they’ve been left abandoned living in squalid conditions, I’ve seen some pretty horrendous sights over the years.  It can definitely affect the way you view society.

“But the thing that keeps me coming back? The dogs. They are, and will always be, my priority and it’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly.”

“People tend to think I’m the bad guy, the one who turns up and takes a dog or gets it put down if it’s bitten someone, but the reality couldn’t be further from that.

“Seizing a dog will almost always be a last resort and I’ll do everything I can to avoid that. Often, it’s about finding a compromise with the owner or seeing what measures can be put in place like leads or muzzles to mitigate the level of danger."

"Sometimes, sadly, taking a dangerous dog away is what’s needed because it’s in the best interests of both the owner and the dog.

“I do a lot of welfare checks after something like a report from a neighbour who’s worried about a dog being mistreated. Then I’m needed at a dog bite incident elsewhere.

"And I use my expertise however I can to support other officers – giving advice to, supporting them with dog cases in court, following up when they’ve been to a job where they’ve seen a dog living in poor conditions, or helping the RSPCA.

"It’s a brilliant job that allows me to share my knowledge of policing and combine it with the animal world – I’m the luckiest officer in the force!”