POLICE ALSATIAN

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 February 1935, Page 12

POLICE ALSATIAN

TOO REALISTIC FOR CONSTABLE

SYDNEY, January 29. The training of police dogs has its painful moments. The Alsatian police dog, Tess, takes her duties seriously. Her training has been exacting, comprehensive, and unremitting. Her intelligence has developed to a degree that has astounded even her trainer. As might be expected, she has never bben able to discriminate between actual training conditions and the more grim purpose of arresting criminals for which she has been trained. During the last few weeks the dog has been undergoing a “refresher” course preparatory to the police carnival next month, and yesterday she gave a too realistic demonstration of her actions in a supposed bank robbery. Tess was taken to the Showground, and the stage was set for the robbery. Constables Spicer and Smith were the robbers, and Constable DenholmG. Tess’s trainer, was in charge of the dog.

According to plan, the robbers looted the bank, and escaped from the building. Then Tess appeared on the scene, and set off in pursuit. She rapidly overhauled Constable Spicer, leaped upon him, and attacked him. Tho constable was dragged heavily to the. ground, and in falling, hurt his cliest. The Central District ! Ambulance was summoned, and he was taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital. He was admitted for treatment for injuries to his chest and crushed ribs. After she had arrested her man Tess stood on guard until the injured victim had been “arrested.”