Larbert police dog and handler receive top award for life-saving actions at Crufts

Police Dog Mac and his handler, Constable Andy Inglis, travelled to the Birmingham show where they were awarded the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Police Dog Action of the Year after finding a man who had been missing for 17 days.

In March 2025 officers were searching for a high-risk missing man who was thought to have travelled into a glen in Dunkeld.

Fearing the man may be dead, a victim detection dog was requested and cocker spaniel PD Mac joined the search.

The extensive search involved PD Mac and his handler going through overgrowth, felled trees, brambles and bushes, with Andy often on his hands and knees. Despite the detailed work, the pair relentlessly covered over 30km in five days.

On their fifth day of searching together, five-year-old Mac ran down a steep embankment towards a waterfall. Andy noticed a change in his body language and could tell Mac was trying to alert him to something that wouldn’t normally be in that area.

The man was found hidden under a fallen tree and tarpaulin.

He was extremely weak, struggling to walk and hadn’t drunk any water or eaten for days. Andy alerted his colleague and the two officers carried him for an hour and a half, supporting him to a path to allow a full rescue.

Andy and Mac received their award in the main arena at Crufts, the world’s biggest dog show yesterday (Sunday).

The dog handler said: “I’m really proud of Mac. We’re a team and I knew he was trying to tell me something that day.

“The nature of my job is I’m expecting to find someone deceased, so when they’re alive, it’s a completely different emotion. Dogs are naturally inquisitive so even though he’s not trained to find a living person, he did it by instinct.

“My motivation is there’s a family who wants to know what’s happened to their loved one and I don’t want another dog walker to find someone this way.

“Mac’s favourite toy is his ball, so that was his reward. As we carried the man to safety, in Mac’s mind his job was done so he walked ahead chewing his toy.”

Mac lives at home in Larbert with Andy’s three children, his wife and Andy’s other police dog, a German Shepherd called Arlo. Mac is described as very mischievous who loves being out in the open and on family walks, as well as having naps with Arlo.

Constable Inglis said: “A police dog needs to integrate with your family and we are one big pack. My children adore him but he’s not allowed in the living room to watch television, so this is the first time he’s seen Crufts.

“It’s important for police dogs to be highlighted and to have their work recognised is massive for policing and dog units across the country. Support from the public really means a lot.”

Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell said: “It gives me immense pride to congratulate Andrew and Mac. The award is a testament to their professionalism, determination and exceptional teamwork.

“Due to their life-saving work, hope was restored to a family during what must have been an unimaginably distressing time.

“Police dogs and their handlers share a unique bond, and together they demonstrated the highest standards of operational excellence.”