Retired German Shepherd police dog who survived being shot three times in the face while protecting his PC handler from man with handgun is honoured with lifetime achievement award

A retired Humberside Police dog who was shot three times in the face while on duty has been given a lifetime achievement award.

Logan, a German Shepherd who is eight years old, got his award at a ceremony put on by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation at Knebworth Park in Hertfordshire.

His owner and former handler, PC Ian Sweeney, 52, from north-east Lincolnshire, went to the awards and said that Logan was his “soulmate.”

PC Sweeney, who has been a police officer for 28 years and worked in the dog unit for 13 of those years, said, “This award is especially special because it recognizes everything he’s done, and I don’t think you ever really think you’ll get something like that.”

“It shows how much all the hard work was worth it. Logan is my soulmate, and I’m so happy for all that he’s done. I’m still very shocked, overwhelmed, and happy about it.’

Logan was a 10-month-old puppy when he joined the Humberside Police in January 2015. He came from the South Yorkshire Police breeding program.

Logan had never been trained before he met PC Sweeney, who said he had “never met a dog like him.”

PC Sweeney said, “Training a general-purpose police dog usually takes about 13 weeks, but Logan was trained and licensed in only eight weeks, and we hit the streets in May 2015.

“He was a natural at smelling and following scents. I’ve never met a dog like him.”

“He had a perfect job. He passed all of his tests and never did anything wrong. He was a perfect dog.

In 2017, he was trained to be a firearms support dog, but a year later, he almost died while protecting his owner in Grimsby from a man who tried to kill him.

PC Sweeney said, “We knew where he was hiding and we knew he had a bladed weapon.”

“Logan and I cornered him, and then he turned a gun on us and threatened to kill us,” she said.

PC Sweeney said he thought he was “sending Logan to his death,” and both of them were badly hurt during the arrest.

PC Sweeney said, “I sent Logan out, which was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do because I thought I might be sending him to his death to protect me.”

“I got hit in the face three times, and Logan was shot three times in the mouth and head, but even though he was hurt, he was still able to hold him.”

After what happened, Logan was given both the North East Region 2 National Bravery Award and the Heart of the Community Award.

PC Sweeney added, “I don’t have enough shelf space for all of his medals and awards.”

In December 2020, Logan found a person who had gone missing from his home and was a high-risk missing person.

Logan spent 70 minutes searching about five square miles in -2C weather until he found the man, who was naked and close to dying. He then led doctors to him, saving the man’s life.

Humberside Police Superintendent Lee Edwards said, “This is just one more thing Logan has done well.

“We are all very proud of what RPD Logan has done in his seven and a half years of service, and we congratulate him on his well-deserved award.”

Logan retired in May of this year, after being praised by the chief constable twice and making more than 300 arrests.

PC Sweeney said, “Working with dogs is my dream job, and I feel so lucky to have worked with Logan for seven and a half years.”

“Now that he’s mine, all I want for him is a nice retirement,” he said.