One of Victoria Police’s most accomplished police dogs is today hanging up his collar after more than eight years keeping the community safe.
Police dog Devil, together with his handler Leading Senior Constable Michelle Dench, have formed one of the longest partnerships in Dog Squad history.
Born on 1 December 2016, Devil is a Belgian Malinois and was handpicked by LSC Dench at just eight weeks old.
Devil qualified as an operational general purpose police dog in July 2018 and later as a Siege Team dog in June 2019. He was the youngest siege dog to ever qualify in the Dog Squad.
Together, Devil and LSC Dench spent the next eight years tracking offenders, helping find vulnerable missing people and supporting police operations across Victoria.
While Devil was feared by offenders, he was known in the force for his exceptional tracking ability and siege work which many described as “outstanding”.
He’s been trained to track, search open areas and has a natural ability to identify and follow human scent.
Some of Devil’s best work included when he and LSC Dench responded to reports of a man who went missing in bushland in Langwarrin and was in need of urgent help.
Both Devil and LSC Dench worked quickly, with Devil using his tracking senses through the lengthy bushland area to find the missing person, ultimately saving his life.
Another included during a police vehicle ramming in Vermont. LSC Dench and Devil were travelling to a job when their police car was rammed by a stolen vehicle travelling at high speed. The driver of the stolen vehicle fled the scene and Devil chased him down, leading to his arrest. LSC Dench and Devil were lucky to have no injuries.
There have also been several aggravated burglaries in which the offenders fled and Devil was deployed – tracking them down for kilometres to find them either hiding under a house or hiding in long grass or in someone else’s backyard.
Devil was equally famous for rolling onto his back for belly rubs after a successful arrest, with colleagues knowing him as the gentle dog who could charm anyone into giving him attention.
He also loved flying in the police helicopter with LSC Dench to attend different jobs across the state.
Away from work, the pair’s favourite activity was heading to the beach, where Devil would spend hours swimming into the surf to retrieve his ball.
Devil has also grown up surrounded by fellow police dogs Luger, Archer and Grizzly, making him part of a unique policing family spanning generations.
Devil turns 10 this year and while he remains fit and healthy, the Dog Squad has made the difficult decision to retire him given his age so he can enjoy his final years.
Devil’s official retirement from the force is today (Friday 30 October).
Devil will continue living at LSC Dench’s home but will now spend his days as he chooses.
Police dogs like Devil play a crucial role in tracking and locating offenders and missing people, supporting police operations and ensuring community safety in day-to-day jobs.
Victoria Police thanks Devil for his invaluable contribution to the force and for helping keep the community safe.
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Quotes attributable to Dog Squad Leading Senior Constable Michelle Dench:
“Devil has always been more than just a dog – he’s a much-loved member of the force. He is my family.
“Devil’s weapon is his nose and unrelenting desire to catch offenders. Offenders would breathe a sigh of relief thinking that they were far enough from the crime scene to avoid capture. The look on their faces when Devil would turn the corner and find them kilometres from the crime scene was unlike no other.
“Devil has loved nothing more than catching offenders, strutting back to the police car and then demanding that our members show their appreciation with belly rubs. You would quite often see a circle of police members with Devil in the middle on his back.
“Devil has saved lives and solved hundreds of crimes that would otherwise remain unsolved today if it were not for him.
“His retirement is such an emotional milestone as we’ve been a team together for the past eight years. He’s had my back and never let me down. It won’t be the same without him and I will miss not having him at work with me every day.
“I’m incredibly proud of Devil and the exceptional police dog he has been. He has earnt a very long and happy retirement.”
