Dog rescued from County Durham shed is now prison dog

Belgian Malinois Betty was underweight when she was rescued by RSPCA inspectors in January after she was found living in unsuitable conditions in a garden shed in County Durham. 

The 18-month-old was taken in by RSPCA Felledge Animal Centre, in Chester-le-Street, where staff quickly realised that she wouldn’t suit a normal home environment. 

Betty was found malnourished (Image: RSPCA)

Luka Atkinson, from Felledge, said: “Most dogs who come to us just want a lovely home life with a nice garden to explore and a cosy sofa to sleep on. But as soon as we met Betty we knew she’d need more. 

“She was super intelligent, energetic, agile and fun-loving. She was on the go all the time. We knew she’d love to have a job to do where she could use her brains.

“Luckily, an officer from a local prison needed a new prison dog after his previous dog retired and we felt she’d be just right for the job!”

Betty with her handler Chris (Image: RSPCA)

In May - following three months of training - Betty started her new life working as a prison dog in County Durham, with her handler, Chris.

He said: “Zeus was due to retire on medical grounds so I was looking for a replacement and was struggling to find one who would be suitable for the job. We decided to look at the local rescue centres and found Betty. 

“We spoke to Felledge and they felt she’d be a good fit for the job so I went along to see if she had what it would take. I knew straight away that she had the drive for the job and we took her for a test run and to try some training.”

Betty now works as a general-purpose dog at a prison alongside Chris and lives at home with him when she’s off-duty.

Betty at the RSPCA (Image: RSPCA)

Her daily duties include patrolling the prison, responding to serious incidents and maintaining the rules and discipline within the prison’s walls. She also helps manage the movements of prisoners and vehicles.

He added: “Betty has such a high drive and it makes her perfect for the job, where she’s constantly on patrol, watching everything that’s going on. She’s brilliant for any dangerous situations we find ourselves in as she’s protective when someone approaches me and will protect me at all costs.

“She’s mega intelligent, sometimes I think she might be too smart! She isn’t for the faint-hearted and I think she’d have struggled to find a home in a normal family setting, but she’s ideal for this life.”

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Betty has been trained in scentwork so she can search for missing people or detect any unauthorised items. 

Chris added: “Betty is an absolute sweetheart at home. She knows when it’s time to chill out, away from work, but still has a tank full of energy! She loves to play with her ball in the garden, enjoys going on long walks, but also likes a cuddle.

“She is very loyal and likes to know where I am at all times, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”