A dog who captivated the hearts of the country and even Simon Cowell cry on Britain’s Got Talent has died.
Finn died at the age of 14 after reaching the finals of the 2019 version of the ITV talent show with owner PC David Wardell.
On Friday, The Thin Paw Foundation, a national organisation that supports serving and retired police canines, revealed his death on X, formerly known as Twitter.
‘We’re terribly saddened to announce the demise of our Ambassador, Retired Police Dog Finn at the age of 14,’ the memorial said, with two photos of the animal.
‘He leaves a huge legacy behind, having saved the life of his handler PC Dave Wardell on duty, whilst he himself had been stabbed multiple times.
‘Following his recovery, Finn and Dave then went on to campaign for Finn’s law which gave greater protection for service animals across the United Kingdom.
‘Our thoughts are with Finn’s family at this very difficult time. Finn, your legacy will live on, may you stand down with pride. RIP Finn, 2009-2023.’
Finn and Dave’s psychic exercises, in which the dog communicated with his human, were popular with spectators.
The dog amazed them even more when it was discovered that he saved Dave’s life while on duty in 2016.
We're deeply sad to announce the passing of our Ambassador, Retired Police Dog Finn at the age of 14. He leaves a huge legacy behind, having saved the life of his handler PC Dave Wardell on duty, whilst he himself had been stabbed multiple times. Following his recovery, Finn and… pic.twitter.com/KatZ8RDgwZ
— Thin Blue Paw Foundation (@ThinBluePaw) July 28, 2023
Finn leaped in front of a knife aimed at Dave, and as a result was savagely stabbed in the head and chest by the perpetrator.
According to the Finn’s Law website, Finn required four hours of surgery to save his life, followed by 11 weeks of recuperation.
After their BGT audition, Simon said: ‘That was pretty incredible. That’s never happened on any show.
‘A dog will literally give up his life for you. For anyone who has been cruel to an animal or a dog, just remember if you had treated him well, they would have put their lives up ahead of you.’
Britain’s Got Talent is available to stream on ITVX.