Central Scotland Police

Mac the Rotweiller

It is with great sadness that we have to report that Mac, our Rottweiler, has died.

He was diagnosed with bone cancer and deteriorated rapidly in ten days. He was put to sleep on January 16th 2008.

Sergeant Cameron Shanks, of the Dog Section, said : "It was a shock how quickly his illness took over. We are all very upset at the loss."

Mac (6) began limping and his handler Constable Jonathan Inglis took him to the vet where he received the devastating news that Mac had bone cancer.

Sergeant Shanks said : "Mac was a very high profile dog as he was the only working Rottweiler in a Scottish force. He was very obedient and reacted very quickly to his handler's commands. He had a massive presence due to his stature and was exceptionally loyal."

Mac was found wandering in an industrial estate in Falkirk in 2003 and was taken to a pound. The Dog Section were made aware of him when nobody claimed him.

Sergeant Shanks said: "I felt at that time that he had the qualities to become an excellent police dog. The one thing that stood out about him was his fantastic temperament."

Mac was placed with Constable Jonathan Inglis and they attended an initial training course at Strathclyde in 2003. He won best dog on the course.

During his working career, which spanned four years, he attended 1,785 calls throughout the force and was responsible for apprehending 206 criminals and locating 31 vulnerable missing persons. He was also responsible for recovering property to the value of £69,000. He was the first Rottweiler to be used as a police dog in Scotland.

Constable Inglis said: "Mac was a fantastic police dog and a great ambassador for the Rottweiler breed. Together we apprehended hundreds of people, recovered thousands of pounds of stolen property and more importantly found a lot of missing persons, in some instances saving lives.

"Mac was an exceptional dog when at home with my family and I. He was placid, gentle, very sociable and was part of the family. He will be missed greatly by a lot of people, but most of all he will be missed by me".

Sergeant Shanks added: "Mac and Constable Inglis were a formidable team. We take great pride in the fact that Mac was rescued from the dog pound and turned into one of the most effective police dogs the force has ever had.

"His time with us was enjoyable for everyone, especially the dog himself who was a very happy animal. He will be sadly missed by everyone".