![](https://emergencyservicestimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ESS-Button-resized.png")
A police dog handler and his canine partner from Police Scotland have been recognised for their lifesaving efforts after locating a vulnerable man who had been missing for nearly two weeks.
Police Constable Andrew Inglis and Police Dog (PD) Mac received the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Police Dog Operational or Humanitarian Action of the Year Award at Crufts on 8 March, in recognition of their work during the extensive search.
The pair were deployed as part of a major search operation in a five-square-mile area of dense forest near Dunkeld after a man had been missing for 13 days. With the search proving challenging, PC Inglis, a victim recovery handler, and PD Mac, a five-year-old victim detection cocker spaniel, were brought in to support the effort.
Together they carried out a demanding 30km search across steep and difficult terrain, at times requiring PC Inglis to crawl through dense undergrowth to continue the operation.
On the fifth day of their deployment, PD Mac descended a steep ravine to the edge of a river and repeatedly showed interest near a fallen tree. The missing man was discovered nearby, severely unwell but still alive.
With assistance from Police Sergeant McBean, who had joined the search operation that day, the man was safely evacuated and taken for urgent medical treatment.
Chief Superintendent Clare Jenkins, NPCC Tactical Lead for Police Working Dogs, said the outcome demonstrated the vital role police dogs play in operational policing.
“If not for the unwavering resilience and exceptional teamwork of PC Andrew Inglis and Police Dog Mac, the man would almost certainly have lost his life,” she said.
“Their commitment not only brought a desperate search to an end, but gave a vulnerable individual the chance of survival, which is an extraordinary act of humanitarian service.”
She added that the case highlighted both the capability of police dogs and the dedication of the officers who work alongside them.
“The partnership between handler and dog is what makes outcomes like this possible,” she said.
PC Inglis, who has been a police dog handler since 2011, said receiving the award had come as a surprise.
“It’s a real honour, and something that came completely out of the blue,” he said.
“Mac’s main role is to help find those who are sadly no longer with us, so for him to bring my attention to someone who was still alive, and to ultimately save a life, is incredible.”
The award was presented during Crufts just before the show’s Best in Show presentation.
To read similar articles, check out our Frontline channel
