The unsung heroes who look after UK's hero service dogs and horses when they retire

Police Scotland dog Mac helped sniff out an incredible £1million in drugs during his illustrious career catching criminals.

Before his retirement, the eight-year-old springer spaniel was one of 2,000 police dogs who each year track suspects, locate missing people and recover drugs or vital pieces of evidence.

Valued members of their squads, these animal workers often put their lives on the line and, in return for their public service, the governing body takes care of their every need from food to equipment, bedding to veterinary bills - even their toys are funded.

Yet when the animal retires, the responsibility of their care transfers to their human handlers literally overnight. Looking after their former colleague is a no-brainer for most dog handlers because their previous 24/7 working relationship will have seen them share the most dangerous moments of their career.

But the abrupt handover of care can be costly and stressful - especially if their beloved animal falls ill and requires thousands of pounds of medical treatment, which can leave them in dire straits financially or ridden with guilt if they can't help.

Which is the exact scenario Mac's owner faced after the recently-retired dog suffered a violent eye infection that required a £4,000 operation to save his sight.

Thankfully, on this occasion there was someone else who came to the pair's rescue - a canine-loving countess by the name of Lady Bathurst.

Lady B, as she prefers to be known, is the founder of the (NFRSA), an organisation dedicated to helping dogs and horses who have served the nation in the police, National Crime Agency, fire service, hospitals, prisons and border patrol areas.

In just two years, her charity has raised over £100,000 supporting more than 300 retired unsung hero service animals who, as she puts it, "can't pay a pension in Bonios".

And it's clear Lady B loves the owners and animals equally, recalling Mac's handler as a "seasoned and experienced Scottish police officer who simply told me, 'This dog is my world'."

She continues: "He was looking at a bill of several thousand pounds and my immediate reaction was to say, 'Just get your boy better, we can worry about the money later'. The poor chap was almost in tears, but it was so important he knew he had our support."

The wear and tear and extreme activity put on the bodies of these physically fit animals can mean hefty vets bills down the line with adequate insurance almost impossible to find.

And so passionate is the 59-year-old about the dogs she helps that last year she cycled over 1,022 miles from Land's End to John O' Groats to raise £15,000 for NFRSA, suffering a tumble in a thunderstorm in the West Country and a near miss with a lorry en route.

"It was an interesting moment that caused a bit of a fuss, but no harm was done and we just got on with it", she declares stoically.

She undertook the cycle ride with the support of her dear friend, the Duchess of York, the comedian Ben Miller, and presenter Nick Knowles who recently strutted his stuff on Strictly Come Dancing.

"We were joined by officers from all the services we support enroute, which meant so much to me personally," she says. "I'm longing to do it all again."

Today, sitting in the kitchen of her Cirencester Park home, she tells me of one animal under the charity's care about to leave this earth "for his next adventure" - retired police dog Bowser, formerly of Devon and Cornwall Police, who appeared on the Alan Titchmarsh show and was owned by the chairman of the charity's southwest committee.

"He is just being prepared for his final journey, and at half past one the vet will be going to his home to send him gently on his way," says Lady B. "I'm very sad about it, he's a lovely boy, I've met him several times".

Saying goodbye to your beloved pet is one of the hardest moments of any owner's life. And it's a testament to how hands-on the Countess is that she knows exactly when her charges will cross over to the other side.

"I have my heart broken on a regular basis but, with over 300 animals registered, it's inevitable and, every time one passes away, I can't help but feel that loss," she admits.

It was in 2016 through her role as High Sheriff of Gloucestershire that Lady B discovered the dedication of police service dogs working in the borough. Spotting a funding gap, she decided to start NFRSA. While some might criticise the Government or public bodies for the lack of funding, Lady B looks at it differently. "Our place is not to judge, but instead to do something productive and that's what I felt I could do," she insists.

The charity has supported hundreds of dogs since its inception just two years ago.

"Where was I yesterday?" Lady B thinks aloud. "With Greater Manchester Police watching the dogs train to support firearms officers. You know these animals are just extraordinary. They run straight towards the danger. Without a thought, because it's what they love.

"During training a potential situation is re-enacted with full equipment, although the guns are made from wood, which is understandable!'

She adds: "They don't know what suspect has got in their hand, they might have a knife, they might have a gun, they might have anything that could harm the animal. But it's the job, and it's clear the dogs love it, but we must never forget they go into danger every day for us."

She hopes the public takes more notice of the "myriad of ways" service dogs and horses keep them safe every day as she witnessed on a recent trip to HMP Belmarsh.

"Through the very nature of their work, prison dogs are not, on the whole, 'people dogs'. They are closely bonded to their handlers and know the other handlers as part of their 'pack' but they are not the sort of dogs one would approach for a fuss."

"Admiration from a distance is the best policy, which is so difficult with beautiful Belgian Shepherds when all you want to do is to say hello - but when they look at you as if to say, 'Come anywhere near me, and see what happens', you tend to keep a respectful distance!"

The Crown actor Dominic West discovered this information firsthand at a fund-raising garden party hosted at Lord Margadale's estate in Wiltshire last year.

"We persuaded him to take a bite from a police dog as well as a prison dog - with protection of course," laughs Lady B. "He said you could really tell the difference between the two, although they would have both stopped you fairly sharpish."

She feels frustrated by the lack of recognition for Border Force dogs in protecting the public.

"There is nobody who has been through an airport or a port who has not been kept safe by a Border Force dog, they just don't realise it," she declares. "They usually work quietly in the background, although they do check luggage on the carousels, which is when you might start to feel slightly nervous."

With a smile on her face, she reveals that she and the Earl have themselves fallen foul of an airport sniffer dog in the past while on holiday in the town of Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia, which incidentally is named after the family.

The pair were sitting in the baggage reclaim area, incredibly tired and jet-lagged, when a beagle with its handler came over and sat by their luggage "looking rather apologetically".

"I was thinking, 'Golly, this is going to be an interesting three weeks in an Australian prison,' but the officer looked at my husband's leather bag and asked if it was new. I explained it was a Christmas gift, and the officer nodded. 'It's the new leather he is indicating.' Disaster was averted."

I also learn about the fire service canines who "save the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds every year" by detecting where an accelerant has been used - quicker than any lab test or robot could test in cases of suspected arson - and the NHS specialist search dogs who keep mental health wards and high security wards safe from illegal drugs.

Not to mention the dogs helping to combat terrorism in the National Crime Agency and the police horses who help fight crime and locate missing vulnerable people in rural areas. Lady B is working harder than ever to get all of these incredible animals the recognition they deserve with initiatives including a new fundraising partnership between NFRSA and pet retailer Jollyes.

And she won't stop until she thinks every service dog gets the recognition they deserve.

"As a nation of animal lovers, it is a huge privilege to be able to give the country an opportunity to really acknowledge the role of our faithful service heroes,"she says. "And I hope anyone who has an appreciation of how much they do for us will join us on our journey."

Lady B has always had the ethos of 'together is better' and she goes to great lengths to remain close, and work alongside, the local retired police dogs charities who cover particular counties, but not all.

"When I started this charity, the most important thing to us was not to interfere with the great work of the Association of Retired Police Dog Charities. They have done so much in their counties, our job is to fill in the gaps where there is no local RPD support, as well as be there for the other five agencies we help."

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