After an illustrious career with the Queensland Police Service, Police Dog Bally is hanging up his harness.
At the age of eight and a half, or almost 60 in dog years, he is retiring from active duty and preparing for a well-earned retirement.
Officers and staff today paid tribute to their canine colleague with a guard of honour at Cairns Station.
PD Bally has served in the Far North Dog Squad as a general-purpose dog for the last 7 years, after graduating at the age of 18 months.
Working alongside his handler Senior Constable Adrian Marek, PD Bally has completed thousands of tracks, helping locate offenders and missing people.
The duo has been deployed across the region, ready to back up general duties and the Tactical Crime Squad at a moment’s notice.
Senior Constable Marek said one of the most memorable jobs he and Bally attended, was when they tracked an offender through several industrial yards, a creek and mangroves, over wire fences and a shipping container, before locating him up a tree.
On another occasion, PD Bally and Senior Constable Marek tracked three offenders in Manunda, swimming through a swamp, before continuing through thick, spider-ridden bushland.
They located the group who were taken into custody without incident.
“Bally is an exceptional general purpose police dog and the best partner a handler could ask for,” Senior Constable Marek said.
“His drive is unmatched, his relentless nature in tracking and love for work has led us to locate almost 1000 offenders.”
“He has located countless missing people so they could get the help they needed.”
During his long career, PD Bally has become a beloved member of the Far North community, helping make the people of Cairns feel safe and protected.
Officer in Charge of the Cairns Dog Squad Sergeant Dave Raymond said Bally and Adrian have developed a deep, and special bond, which shows in their work together.
“Bally has been the most amazing dog, he is one of the most incredible dogs in the state,” Sergeant Raymond said.
He’s never been one to shy away from a fun photo during his down time and is no doubt looking forward to spending more quality time with his family.
PD Bally is still a puppy at heart and will find it difficult to watch his beloved partner head of to work without him.
PD Bally will spend his retirement with the Marek family, and will be supported by the Blue Paws Association.
To find out more about the organisation, visit Blue Paws Association Inc. (bpainc.com.au)
PD407, on behalf of Far Northern police, it has been an honour to work alongside you. Thank you for your service.
A career within the Queensland Police Service is like no other. From protecting, responding, and investigating, to supporting, rescuing and learning – the sheer variety of roles make it both a challenging and rewarding career.
As a police officer, you can have one career that has endless possibilities. Now really is the best time to join.
Visit PoliceRecruit.qld.gov.au to kickstart your policing career and make a positive impact in your community.
