A rookie Staffordshire police dog was beaten, hit and slashed with a machete more than 20 times but refused to let go of the suspect he had hold of.
Dramatic video footage showed the moment PD Stark, who was searching allotments for thieves following reports of suspicious activity, tracked and detained a suspect. However, it took a horrific turn as the man attacked the young police dog with what his handler initially thought was a stick.
It was not until PC Paul Hopley managed to intervene and arrest the young man that he saw his four-legged partner was bleeding.
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Now the courageous pooch has been honoured with a bravery award.
Belgian Malinois cross German Shepherd PD Stark was bred as part of the West Midlands Police breeding scheme and was, like his littermates, aptly named after the brave Game of Thrones family, the Starks.
All five pups went on to become police dogs either within the force or elsewhere.
PC Paul Hopley – who joined West Midlands Police in 1994 and worked for 17 years as a traffic cop and seven years…
