A Fife police officer who continued searching for a missing woman with her dog despite horrendous injuries has received a national honour at Crufts.
PC Carly Fulton from St Andrews fought back the pain after breaking her heel bone and ripping ligaments in her foot to continue the urgent search.
Now, the officer and her dog Ben have won the National Police Chiefs’ Council Dog Team of the Year award
It was presented to them by Chief Constable Pippa Mills, NPCC lead for police dogs, at Crufts – the international dog show held in Birmingham – on Sunday.
The pair were honoured after being nominated for the award by Sergeant Iain McAlpine.
PC Fulton and her four-legged partner were nominated by Sergeant Iain McAlpine after their contribution to a missing person incident in Carluke, South Lanarkshire in August 2022.
Local officers were supported by national resources, including the police helicopter and search officers, but their progress was limited due to difficult woodland and overgrowth.
PC continued on hands and knees with crippling injury
PC Fulton and Ben were called in to assist, but after setting out the officer lost her footing, breaking her heel bone and ripping ligaments in her ankle.
Despite the crippling injuries, PC Fulton continued the search with Ben, at times on her hands and knees, eventually finding the missing woman and bring her to safety.
Following her ordeal PC Fulton required six months of rehabilitation for her injuries before she was fit to return to work.
Commenting on the award, she said: “I’m grateful to receive this award but after my injury, I’m just glad to be back at work with my dogs.
“Due to the nature of that incident, I knew we had to find the woman quickly and that was the focus for me.
“Ben was my first dog when I joined the National Dog Unit and I’m always amazed at the power of his nose and what dogs bring to policing to save lives.”
Six-year-old Ben is a Belgian Malinois and German Shephard cross breed who is trained as a general purpose dog. He can help find missing people, track suspects and recover evidence.
Chief Superintendent Tracey Robinson, Police Scotland head of specialist services, said: “I would like to congratulate Carly and Ben for winning this award which recognises their incredible determination and dedication to public service.
“All of our dog handlers work extremely hard developing their skills and provide crucial support as a national resource to local policing and their communities.
“I’m very proud and glad that Carly and Ben have been able to enjoy some time at Crufts to collect their award.”
Conversation