Emergency surgery for retired police dog Tomi
A retired Ministry of Defence police dog is recovering from emergency surgery after being struck down by a potentially fatal condition while his handler was away on holiday.
Nine-year-old German Shepherd Tomi, who served for six years at Portsmouth Dockyard before retiring in 2024, was rushed to an emergency vet on Monday after kennelling staff noticed he was showing signs of bloat, a condition in which the stomach twists and fills with gas or fluid that can prove fatal if not treated quickly.
His handler, Molly Irving, and her partner, also a dog handler, caught the first train back to Southampton to be with him. Tomi underwent emergency surgery the same day.
The cost of treatment, expected to reach around £4,000, is being covered by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation, a charity that supports retired police dogs with medical and rehabilitation costs. Tomi had been registered with the Foundation after his adoption, with his owners concerned about the potential costs of veterinary care.
Molly said: “During one of the scariest times of our lives, the charity was there for Tomi and for us without hesitation.”
Foundation founder Kieran Stanbridge said police dogs like Tomi “give up the best years of their lives to serve” and that the charity wanted owners to be free to focus on their dog rather than worry about bills.
Tomi is said to be recovering and will remain under close veterinary monitoring for 48 hours. Since launching in 2020, the Thin Blue Paw Foundation has supported more than 200 dogs with nearly £500,000 worth of treatment.