New dog on the beat across Wiltshire

Thursday, 8 June 2023 01:00

PD Texa and her dog handler PC Vicki Pegrum have just passed their licence test and are now helping to keep Wiltshire safe.

On a sunny day at Charlton Park the pair were put through their paces and passed – meaning 3-year-old Texa is safe to be out fighting crime.

PC Pegrum has been a police officer for 18 years, previously working in response and then with another dog for 2 years. PC Pegrum said she’s looking forward to starting work with Texa: “The minute I met Texa the bond was there. She wants to work with me, I want to work with her, she’s responsive to me, and she’s going to be great out there because she’s level-headed.

“I love being a police officer, I love working alongside the dogs, I love them being one of the tools in our kit because the reaction you get from the public is great.”

PC Pegrum and Texa have been trained by PC Cindy Hargreave as part of her first course as an instructor.

Once an officer and a dog have been paired up PC Hargreave asks her students for a list of qualities, they would wish for in a police dog, and then she gives it to the dog handler at the end of the 13-week course to see it rang true. On this occasion PC Pegrum reflected that Texa ticked all her boxes!

PC Hargreave said: “My instructor did this for me and gave it to me after Tyke (my long serving police dog) retired and it served as a reminder of the exceptional journey that dogs and their handlers go through during their careers. I wanted to make this part of the licence celebration for my students.”

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