Search dogs “invaluable” to South Yorkshire Police

The animals are trained to detect human blood, fluid and tissue — and their sense of smell can be vital in murder, missing person and sexual offence investigations.

Trevor and Cooper are the newest recruits, having qualified as victim detection and forensic evidence search dogs.

PC Dan Lumley, handler of 15-month-old cocker spaniel,” said: “He was originally bought by a couple in Scotland during the pandemic.

“After being too much for the couple he was taken to the Dogs Trust and we collected him when he was around 11 weeks old.

“He is still a puppy but is keen to learn as he grows.

“He has been a ‘dream’ during our course and assessments, the months of work has been good for us both in terms of learning and advancing.”

Meanwhile, three-year-old labrador Cooper has been placed with PC Josh Ingram, who said: “He’s been put through his paces during the past couple of months and has turned his paw to any challenging situation.”

Supt Lydia Lynskey said: “The handlers and dogs have worked hard over the past months to learn the skills required to pass their training, exams and be ready to work.

“The results the dogs will achieve won’t always be under the best of circumstances, they are often working in sensitive investigations or following the death of a person.

“But their skills in victim recovery and forensic detection will prove beneficial for the team’s investigating these crimes.”