Issued by North Yorkshire Police
The family of North Yorkshire Police officer PC Keith Pattison have gifted a new police puppy to the force in his memory.
Keith, who lived in York, sadly died last month and his family wanted to do something positive to remember him by.
The 10-week old German Shepherd pup, which they have named “Patto”, joined the force a few weeks ago and will eventually become a general purpose police dog helping to sniff out criminals and search for missing people.
Keith’s daughter, Katie Pattison, said: “My dad loved dogs and had a special interest in the force’s Dog Section. Although he never became a dog handler, I know he always thought about it, but it was never the right time. PD Patto is a fitting tribute to him and will ensure his memory lives on in North Yorkshire Police.”
Assistant Chief Constable Iain Spittal added: “Our thanks go to Keith’s family for their extremely generous donation. Keith was a popular and dedicated officer and I can’t think of a better way to remember him by. Hopefully PD Patto will take on Keith’s determination to apprehend criminals and see a case through to the end!”
Sergeant Simon Whitby, who heads the force’s Dog Section, welcomed Patto to his team. He said: “Keith’s death has saddened us all and having PD Patto on the team is a wonderful way to ensure that his memory lives on, and the Pattison name continues to help keep the communities of York and North Yorkshire safe.”
PC Pattison joined North Yorkshire Police in 1990. He spent the majority of his service working in the Selby district as a uniformed constable supporting the communities of Tadcaster and Selby. More recently, Keith joined the Help Desk as part of the Force Control Room. As a result, the reach of his support to the community stretched across the whole of North Yorkshire and City of York.
PD Patto currently lives with his puppy walker who will get him used to many situations, including socialising with people and other animals, busy traffic, crowds of people and loud noises.
When he is around six to eight months old, he will be teamed up with a dog handler or instructor who will train him in the basics needed to become a canine crime-fighter.
At around 14 to 18 months old, PD Patto and his handler will attend a13-week training course together. At the end of their course, they will be licensed to work together as a team. During the course of his police career, he could be called to work anywhere across York and North Yorkshire.
Throughout his puppyhood and his training period, PD Patto will be continually assessed for temperament, personality and his suitability as a police dog.
This content has not been created by YorkMix but by one of our trusted news sources. YorkMix is not responsible for the accuracy of the text.