28/07/2025
If you are an animal lover, you enjoy a real life story with a happy ending or you celebrate when “good” wins the day, please click on the link in the comments below. There you’ll find out why Dave and then police dog Fabulous Finn came to visit us in the office back in 2018 when we crafted and gifted a granite clock memorial to celebrate Finn’s recovery and bravery and the cause that they were campaigning for.
Since then sadly Finn has passed and a bronze memorial was unveiled in a park fairly local to us in Layston, Buntingford yesterday. Here is Dave’s moving unveiling speech…..
“The last time I faced an audience of this size, Finn and I were on BGT...
And Finn helped steady my nerves.
He might not physically be by my side today...
But I can assure you – he is right here.
Firstly a huge thank you to Kieran and the amazing Thin Blue Paw team for bringing all of this together.
Right
I believe that when one of my dogs passes over the rainbow bridge...
They take a piece of my heart with them.��But in that space, they leave a piece of their own heart behind – full of love, loyalty, and everything they were.
With each dog I’ve loved and lost...
My heart becomes more dog.
Only when my heart is all dog – filled with the pieces they’ve left behind – and I’ve learned all the lessons they came to teach me...
Will it be my time to join them.
Finn took a huge part of my heart when he left...
And he left a huge part of his in return.
But I know I still have more to learn before I see him again.
And I know – he’s guiding me every step of the way.
I’m not particularly religious...
But I think God knew that no one dog could ever replace Finn.
So Finn guided me to the German Shepherd Rescue Elite kennels in Cornwall...
Where God gave me 40!!! dogs to try.
Once Finn knew I was safe and happy...
His work was done for the final time.
He just had to make sure his dad was safe one last time...
As he had done hundreds of times before... safe for the rest of my life.
————
One of my beliefs is that in heaven...
Time slows to a stillness so gentle – it bends for love.
By the time my soul crosses over...
My sweet Finn won’t have taken more than a breath.
He won’t have to search for me, not even once...
Because I’ll already be there – right behind him as he turns, hearing me call his name, before he even feels the ache of missing me.
He’ll never know a moment without me...
Then we will be together – forever.
It is *me* that must carry this ache until that time.
An ache born of love... the love I have for Finn.
————
They say things happen for a reason...
Sometimes, that reason is hard to see... or to fathom.
But I will always be grateful...
That I spent every moment of Finn’s last 9 months with him – just as we had spent those incredible 7 years of service together.
———-
Thank you all so much for being here today.
Looking around, I see not just friends and supporters... but a team. A family. A community.
A community who followed Finn’s story from the moment it broke on 5th October 2016.
People who believed in his mission – and now carry his memory in their hearts.
That means more than I can ever fully express.
Today, we’re here to honour a dog who did more than just save my life...
We’re here to remember a soul who *shaped* it.
If you’re lucky, maybe once in your lifetime, a dog comes along...
Who doesn’t just walk beside you – but gently, quietly... changes *everything*.
For me... that dog was Finn.
Yes, he’s remembered as the hero who stepped in front of a knife to protect me whilst on duty.
That moment of bravery is etched into history – and rightly so.
It brought about change. It created laws. It stirred hearts.
It showed the world the true courage and loyalty of a working dog.
But that moment – as powerful as it was – is only one part of the story.
The Finn I knew was also the dog who would nudge my elbow with his wet nose...
When we were crouched in the dark, soaked to the skin, waiting for hours on a rainy night.
My nerves would be razor sharp. Adrenaline coursing through me...
And then... *that nudge*.
Just a touch.
Just enough to say, 'I’m here, Dad. We’ve got this.'
And in that moment, everything inside me would settle.
He grounded me – not with words, or anything loud or dramatic...
But with a presence so steady, so full of trust... fear didn’t stand a chance.
That was his magic. He didn’t need to speak. He just *was.*
And that was always enough.
We could – and *did* – take on the world.
And we *always* won.
Finn taught me patience. Stillness. The value of shared silence between two souls who trust each other completely.
In a chaotic world, he showed me how to breathe. How to *Be More Dog.*
He reminded me to notice the little things...
The way the wind moved through the trees... the sacredness of simply being alive together.
He showed me The gift of sitting on a hill... with your best mate... and *just being.* 🐾
This beautiful statue we unveil today – lovingly created by Suzie –
Is not just a symbol of what Finn did in one heroic moment.
It’s a tribute to the hundreds of quiet, powerful moments before and after.
The paddleboarding. The jet skiing. The abseiling.
It’s him being the goodest of good boys on a flight to Miami to inspire a state to follow .
It’s watching my daughters grow up with Finn, learning lessons that will last a lifetime.
It’s visiting schools together to educate thousands of children about policing and animal welfare.
It’s the 7 laws named after him. The BGT finals. The best-selling book inspired by him.
It’s snoozing on the sofa after a hard shift and a Sunday roast.
It’s loyalty that never wavered. Love that never had to be earned.
A bond so deep it could weather any storm – rain, danger, darkness... even time.
To those of you who’ve followed our journey, sent messages, donated, voted, read the book, shared his story...
Thank you.
From the bottom of my heart – *thank you.*
You are part of his legacy too.
Without you, none of these achievements would’ve happened. The laws wouldn’t exist. His story wouldn’t be told.
We wouldn’t be standing here today.
And this statue – it will stand long after we are gone.
His legacy will live on for generations.
Generations from now, children will pass by and ask, 'Who was Finn?'
And in that question will live a story – of bravery, of partnership, and of extraordinary love.
They’ll learn that true heroism often comes quietly – on four legs...
With kind eyes, and a heart that never stops giving.
Though he’s not beside me in the way I still wish he was...
I feel him.
In every step. In every heartbeat. In the stillness.
In the moments I need grounding the most – *he’s there.*
He is in everything I still do – for police dogs, and for the rescue dogs in Cornwall.
So let this statue not just honour the past – but inspire the future.
Let it stand for loyalty. For courage. For legacy. For love that doesn’t end.
May it always remind us – that sometimes, what we need most isn’t a miracle or a medal...
But a friend who meets us where we are, nudges us when we need it most, and teaches us to love with everything we have.
Thank you – for being here. For believing. For loving him.
Just as I always will.
Please remember him. Please talk about his story.
Let his legacy live on – *forever.*”
