Search dog Millie retires after 10 years of service

A search dog who has helped with nearly 150 jobs over 10 years has been retired.

Eleven-year-old Millie was just a puppy when she went to live with handler Darren Yeates and his family in 2013.

Mr Yeates said she was “a natural” with her training and that they built an “incredibly strong relationship… something only a working dog handler can appreciate”.

Millie has assisted with lowland searches for police forces including Wiltshire, Sussex, Dorset, Surrey and Kent.

Describing their relationship, Mr Yeates who lives in Worthing said: “I can tell what she wants and she can tell where I want her to go.

“If you watched us search you may be surprised how little I say.”

The work is voluntary, which Mr Yeates completes around his day job.

He said lowland rescue is often about finding people who do not know they are lost, for example who may have dementia, or who do not want to be found.

“To put it bluntly we can be looking for people who have died,” he said.

He said in those cases it is very important that they can sometimes help bring closure to family members.

They were recently called to support a big multi-team search in Wiltshire which he said was “humbling”.

“You’re only a small part but you’re an important part,” Mr Yeates said.

“In the days of tech and drones, one dog is equal to 20 foot searchers… when you’ve got thick woodland, drones are no good and a dog is the best asset we’ve got.”

Millie will live out her retirement with the family, although Mr Yeates said it will be hard when he goes out on searches without her.

“We can get called out any time of the day or night and she hears the callout alarm as much as I do.

“Usually I’d hear it and turn over in bed and there is a pair of eyes looking at me asking ‘Are we going?’”

Mr Yeates’ next challenge is training Koda, Millie’s successor, who is also a member of their family.

“I’m trying to take everything out of Millie’s head and put it into Koda’s, although they are very different dogs,” he said.

He added that he is hugely proud to have worked with Millie.

“She genuinely cares and is very intuitive with a good sense of what you’re thinking and she’s really earned her retirement.”