Wildlife Crime Detection Dogs Appeal Update
Donations Flood in from Our Generous Supporters in First Two Weeks
Thanks to the remarkable generosity of Hen Harrier Action supporters, we’re delighted to report that, just two weeks after launching our new appeal, we are already well over 90% of the way to achieving our fundraising target.
Launched during the Skydancer Day broadcast, after an interview with DI Mark Harrison from the National Wildlife Crime Unit and handler Kevin with detection dog Gem, the appeal will fund the training and deployment of dogs with the multi-agency teams that tackle the painstaking challenge of locating the remains of illegally killed birds of prey, often in remote areas and unforgiving terrain.
Since the Skydancer Day launch, donations have been flooding in. More than 320 supporters have donated so far, raising over £9,300. Trustee Jonathan Wilson, who created the campaign on the GoFundMe platform, was delighted with such a rapid response from supporters.
“The warm and generous reaction from our supporters and friends to this appeal speaks volumes about a shared determination to eliminate wildlife crime and persecution of our rare birds of prey,” he said.
“Every penny raised in this appeal will go directly to the National Wildlife Crime Unit, ringfenced for the training and deployment of detection dogs in 2025 and beyond.”
In total, the appeal aims to raise £10,000 to fund the training of at least one more detection dog, and as many deployments as are needed.
Writing on LinkedIn, Detective Inspector Mark Harrison commented, “Unfortunately there are not as many police dogs as there used to be and they (like a lot of their two legged partners) are busy with other crime priorities.
This is where collaboration and partnerships really come into their own.“
He adds “These detection dogs are a game changer for wildlife crime, working with police officers to find evidence and acting as a deterrent to criminals, preventing further crime.”
You can watch the whole interview with DI Harrison, and find out how the detection dogs are trained in footage filmed exclusively for Skydancer Day.
If you haven’t had the chance yet, you can donate on the GoFundMe page here, and every penny will be dedicated to training the dogs and deploying them when Hen Harriers go missing.
Meet the Wildlife Crime Detection Dogs
This is Henry, a black and white Springer Spaniel. He was rescued and rehomed when he was 8 months old, and he is coming up to 10 years old now.
As Louise Wilson, the MD at Conservation K9 Consultancy says, “He is a master detection dog with great grit and power!“
Henry is currently the only CK9C dog fully trained on bird carcasses and satellite tags.
This is Gem, a little liver-coloured Cocker Spaniel. She was rescued and rehomed at 8 weeks old, as she was found roaming the countryside.
She is now about 6 years old, and we are hoping that she will be the next dog trained to detect the remains and satellite tags of illegally killed birds of prey, with your help in this appeal.
Louise says of Gem “She’s a little girl with great attitude! She is born to work, and when at home, tries to fit as many toys as she can in her mouth!”
And this is Twist, an 8-year-old liver and white Springer Spaniel who was rehomed at about 18 months old.
According to Louise, “Twist is a good name for him as he never stops. He is a whirlwind and loves nothing more than deployment with his handler.”
“But he does love cuddles when he can stay still for one” she adds. “His first love is his tennis ball!”
All the Conservation K9 Consultancy dogs work with wildlife organisations, charities and public sector bodies on wildlife detection and monitoring tasks, including bat, pine marten, hedgehog and water vole detection, providing invaluable data for conservationists. Find out more about their work here.