Every dog has its day.
And what a day for Fife Constabulary’s Axel, who’s coming back to the kingdom after being crowned a top dog at Crufts.
Axel and police dog handler Craig Menzies have won the 2012 police dog team operational or humanitarian action award at the world-renowned dog show, after a daring mission to rescue a missing woman trapped in a ravine.
The drama unfolded last July when a 58-year-old woman from the St Andrews area was walking her labrador along a path in Cambo, near Kingsbarns.
She is thought to have lost her footing and slipped before landing 60 feet down on to a ledge. There she remained for the next seven hours.
Her pet, a former guide dog, remained close by but he was trained not to bark. Guide dogs are tutored to maintain a sense of calm in certain situations.
A search swung into action after she was reported missing and PC Menzies and Axel spent hours searching for the woman in a wooded area near Kingsbarns.
The officer quickly found an umbrella which belonged to the woman. He then widened his search to include coastal paths and a golf course.
After around two hours of continuous searching, and with darkness closing in, Axel became particularly interested in one area.
The courageous pair searched through the bushes there and heard a faint voice. The woman was able to hold on to a rope and was lifted out of the ravine and was checked over by ambulance personnel.
Chief Constable Andrew Barker said: “I, and everyone at Fife Constabulary, am proud of their achievement and would like to thank them for delivering such a high standard of service and congratulate them on this prestigious award.”