Countess Bathurst

Former High Sheriff of Glos. 2016/17. Supporting our Emergency Services, & their animals. Consistently grateful, a touch outspoken.. Chairman of the NFRSA.

[Countess Bathurst @CotswoldLadyB]

Please watch this video. It’s 17 mins, so grab a cuppa & learn about our amazing service dogs, & why we should be helping them in their twilight years. Please help us to #ProtectOurProtectors by sharing & if you could spare a couple of quid, donating.
Thank you, it means a lot 💜

[NFRSA @The_NFRSA]

Two months ago we launched The NFRSA. Supporting retired service animals in their twilight years by helping their owners & handlers with ongoing medical & veterinary needs. We are so proud to be there for them all. Please watch our video. #dogsoftwitter https://t.co/0p4SSNVyjX

[Countess Bathurst @CotswoldLadyB]

@ElizabethBlood9 @The_NFRSA Liz - as ever you were an absolute superstar. Thank you VERY much for being there alongside Suzanne, and for working so hard. Funds raised - awareness raised - friends made. So grateful. X

[Countess Bathurst @CotswoldLadyB]

I’ve recorded a podcast with the lovely ‘Sit, Paws and Listen’ - talking about life, @The_NFRSA - a few personal anecdotes, some very guilty secrets, and of course our amazing service animals.

I hope you enjoy it and if you do, please share!

The links are below:

https://t.co/q7YMGu6kc8

And

https://t.co/3q0YMwCwW5

[Countess Bathurst @CotswoldLadyB]

Round of golf anyone? All for a good cause!

[NFRSA @The_NFRSA]

🏌️ Tee off for a great cause!

Join us at Sleaford Golf Club on 29th September 2026 and help raise funds for our retired service heroes. 🐾💜

📅 29th September 2026
⛳ First tee: 11:30am

£20 registration donation + £35 payable on the day includes:

☕ Coffee & bacon bap
🥧 Steak pie & chips
🏆 Prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place, plus Nearest the Pin competitions
🎟️ Raffle and multiple 4-ball auctions.

🔗 Register via the link below:

https://t.co/kZNEUrv247

Places are limited, so don’t miss your chance to take part!

For more information, please contact us at:

📧[email protected]
Or the emails on our post!

🐾 Over 700 heroes registered
💝 Over £290,000 gifted in grants
❤️ 100% supporter funded
🇬🇧 Supporting retired Police, Prison, Fire, Border Force, NHS, MOD Police, NCA, and RAF Police service animals.

https://t.co/0cCeb3Gn5L

[NFRSA @The_NFRSA]

The posts we never like to share… but it is so important these remarkable animals are remembered. It is an honour to pay tribute to them. 🌈🐾

We were deeply saddened to hear retired police dog Spencer recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Spencer proudly served alongside his handler, Andy, as a drug detection dog with @WMPolice for nine years.

His dedication and commitment made a lasting contribution to policing and the communities he served.

After retirement, Spencer found a wonderful home with Paul, who had the privilege of sharing the final 15 months of his life.

Paul said:

“Spencer very quickly became a well-known, happy fella in our village and will be missed by so many people. Although his life was taken from us after a short illness, he left us with many happy memories.”

From seaside adventures to everyday moments filled with love, Spencer embraced retirement exactly as every service animal deserves.

Thank you for your service Spencer - it’s now time to run free.

Our heartfelt condolences are with Paul, Andy, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing and loving Spencer. ❤️🐾

🐾 Over 700 heroes registered
💝 Over £290,000 gifted in grants
❤️ 100% supporter funded
🇬🇧 Supporting retired Police, Prison, Fire, Border Force, NHS, MOD Police, NCA, and RAF Police service animals

https://t.co/0cCeb3Gn5L

[Countess Bathurst @CotswoldLadyB]

@Lushlabs Aww - you are kind 💜

[Countess Bathurst @CotswoldLadyB]

(HM) Sweep II has settled in well.

So well, she’s now taken to jumping on the other dogs heads, and on a couple of occasions has had to be put in her place.

She doesn’t care a bit…

The humans are devoted to her.

The rest of the pack - less so.

It’ll come… Eventually…

[RPD Snap @RPDSnap]

Well I wasn’t expecting that!! Mom’s brought us to the beautiful Cirencester Park to meet up with our @nfrsa friends and @CotswoldLadyB 🏕️

[NFRSA @The_NFRSA]

The posts we never like to share - but we do, because we think it’s important you know these amazing animals lived, and what they did. And it brings enormous comfort to their handlers and familles who really appreciate the love and support…

We have recently said farewell to an extraordinary member of the NFRSA family.

Retired Fire Investigation Dog Harvey has recently travelled over rainbow bridge at the age of 15 years and 9 months.

He served for seven incredible years with @HantsIOW_fire (Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service) before retiring in 2020.

His handler Sean White, who is also an ambassador for the NFRSA, said:

“I am devastated to lose my best friend, Harvey. It has always been a privilege to work with all my fire investigation dogs - but Harvey was really special.”

Harvey came into Sean’s life when he needed him most, helping him rebuild confidence after a heart attack. Originally trained in search and rescue, Harvey, as a working dog, soon found his true calling in fire investigation.

But his greatest gift wasn’t his remarkable nose - it was his heart.

Harvey brought comfort and joy to countless people, including children at Southampton General Hospital. One little boy, who had never connected with a dog before as he was nervous of them, formed a beautiful bond with Harvey - a moment his family will never forget.

He simply dropped the ball on the little lad’s lap, and then laid quietly across his feet. His new friend eventually leaned down and started to fuss him. His Mum couldn’t believe it, and the sight of her son interacting with Harvey reduced her to floods of grateful tears.

That was Harvey. He changed lives without ever knowing it.

He was also famous for his cheeky tennis ball game, keeping colleagues entertained for hours and not letting them leave - on occasion they had to be rescued by Sean!

Harvey retired in 2020 and joined the NFRSA family in 2022.

On 23rd June, he peacefully crossed Rainbow Bridge. We like to think he’s reunited with RFID Ruby, who was also Sean’s dog - and who left in 2024.

Good night and sleep well beautiful Harvey. Thank you for your service. Time to run free. 🌈💜

__________
https://t.co/0cCeb3Gn5L
Protecting our Protectors
___________

[NFRSA @The_NFRSA]

🐾 Our Work Continues – Meet Millie 🐾
Millie recently retired after eight years of dedicated service with Greater Manchester Police as a Firearms, Drugs and Cash Search Dog. @gmpolice

Millie is one of a remarkable litter of eight puppies, all of whom successfully completed training and went on to serve as search dogs with Greater Manchester Police. Throughout her career, she played an important role in helping keep communities safe before enjoying a well-earned retirement.

More recently, Millie required cruciate surgery after the costs were not covered by insurance. The NFRSA was pleased to support the cost of her treatment, helping her receive the care she needed.

We wish Millie a smooth recovery and a long, happy retirement. Thank you for your years of dedicated service. 💜🐾

🐾 Over 700 heroes registered
💝 Over £290,000 gifted in grants
❤️ 100% supporter funded
🇬🇧 Supporting retired Police, Prison, Fire, Border Force, NHS, MOD Police, NCA and RAF Police service animals

https://t.co/gvUYQ0Z43S

[Countess Bathurst @CotswoldLadyB]

@EscapedHere Ouch…

[NFRSA @The_NFRSA]

Our awesome Southwest Team have been very busy today at the @RoyalNavy Open Day at @HMNBDevonport

The fabulous two-legged volunteers talked to endless people about the NFRSA, raised some SERIOUS funds, while the four-legged members of team RPD Sally, and RPD Tomi @MODPolice - RPD Flint and PD Gwen @DC_Police - all soaked up sun and the adulation of the many visitors to our stand.

Naturally… 🥰

It’s all happening again tomorrow - so if you have tickets to the HMNB Devonport Navy Open Day - do pop by and say hello!

There’s friendly faces and a CRACKING raffle, as well as loads of NFRSA merch.

And dogs…

It’s why we’re all doing this - for those gorgeous souls.

A HUGE thank you to our Southwest Hub - giving up two days of your summer means the world. Legends. XX

@cassidobert18

[Countess Bathurst @CotswoldLadyB]

Someone has come home.

Two days in - and a bit clingy, but she’ll get there..

Welcome Sweep - your great grandmother would have been proud.

[Police Federation of England and Wales @PFEW_HQ]

🧵1/6

🚨The thin blue line is getting thinner🚨

New Home Office figures reveal there are now 566 fewer police officers in England and Wales than a year ago.

https://t.co/LAl59RH1fo

[Countess Bathurst @CotswoldLadyB]

I know. And this is precisely why they should not be released.

[Tony Dicicco @TonyDicicco4]

@CotswoldLadyB Not only that you can be assured that they’ll just carry on their criminality when they get out because with most of them it’s in their DNA.
They’ve shown no remorse and thought the trial was a laugh .

[Countess Bathurst @CotswoldLadyB]

A very good question.

They are building more prisons, (I was talking to a gent who works for the developer who is building them, so I’m pretty sure it’s true), but that doesn’t solve the immediate problem.

The only solution I could come up with is prisoners who are NOT a danger to society are released with tags, and curfews - ‘whote collar’ crime - so they serve their sentences at home.

Then prisoners from Cat C are moved to Cat D - Cat B are moved to Cat C establishments, and then the Cat B’s are changed to Cat A prisons.

I’m sure there are plenty of people who would say that’s a terrible idea, and of course I’m no Home Secretary, but it’s the only one I can think of!

[scarlett636 @shhhyounohoo]

@CotswoldLadyB Ask Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson, May, Cameron & all who ran down the prison service over 14 years. This is an exceptionally bad case but there will be many others. What do you suggest we do if we run out of prison spaces, dear Countess?

[Countess Bathurst @CotswoldLadyB]

I am really struggling to understand why there is even a chance of this happening.

What message does it send to potential criminals - ‘don’t worry you’ll be out in 6 years’

And what message does it send to police officers? Morale is already on the floor.

Andrew’s family - his friends - his colleagues - his widow?

I very much hope the new Prime Minister sits on this - and hard.

Andrew’s life mattered, and he can never be brought back.

Yet apparently it’s perfectly fine for his murderers to walk free after serving just half their sentence…

Let’s pray the system for once sees sense. A life sentence is precisely that - a life sentence.

Andrew’s family will never be released from serving theirs…

[Police Federation of England and Wales @PFEW_HQ]

Today at 11am we changed our profile picture to PC Andrew Harper for 72 hours following the news that two men convicted of his manslaughter will be released early from prison under new sentencing rules. Andrew made the ultimate sacrifice protecting the public. We remember him.

[NFRSA @The_NFRSA]

And this goes for the application of tenure to the @MetTaskforce dog section too.

With literally decades of experience behind them, we understand nine @metpoliceuk Dog Handlers have been informed they’re having their dogs removed (unable to confirm in all cases), and they’re being transferred to neighbourhood roles.

No asking them, no discussion - just ‘off you pop and by the way we’ll be re handling the dog to a new officer.’ and from what we understand, it’s pretty much impossible to appeal.

The loss of that expertise is mind-boggling.

The waste of public funding, with all their years of continued training, being flushed down the sink is heartbreaking.

The cost of training new dog handlers from scratch, when they already had the endless training, experience, and expertise in place - right there in front of them - to us simply doesn’t make sense.

There is a desperate need for good police officers and dog handlers with that unequalled knowledge, training, experience, wisdom to be on the streets of London today.

Instead they’re being pulled from their roles.

It’s not just the effect on the handlers, which we imagine has been devastating for them, but also their families, their children who have grown with the dogs.

And how about the possible effect on the police dogs themselves, who have formed a bond like no other with their handlers?

The waste of public funding. The effect on morale. The loss of identity. The sense of loss of the handlers and their families.

The possible confusion of the dogs ‘Where’s my Mum/Dad - and who are you?’.

Yes, we all know dogs can be re handled, but when they are, they have to go back to square one with a new handler, there is a period of adjustment, and the cost of that initial course to the public purse. And during that course, the dog, (who is already licensed btw), cannot go on the streets. Ergo, pressure to the rest of that area.

By all means, and if they absolutely must follow the rules of tenure, (everyone deserves a chance), why can’t they wait until a dog is of retirement age, and inform the officers in plenty of time they will be moved on at the end of the dog’s career.

At least they’ll have fair warning, and be able to prepare themselves for it. And they’ll be able to keep their four-legged partners in whom they have placed their mutual trust, and so so much work, love, and devotion.

But such short notice, and with a working dog still with years of service left - to us it seems cruel. What happens when they run into their old dog on a call? It would be heartbreaking.

Some officers join the police with the specific dream of becoming a dog handler. They work for it - they prove themselves - they earn it.

And now it’s being taken away from them. Without a second thought.

We, as a charity, cannot comment on police procedures, or decisions made, but all we would ask is the human cost and welfare of the dogs be placed above all else, and taken into consideration here.

A little empathy should be applied. It’s not just the officers this has a profound effect on, it’s their families, and quite possibly the dogs themselves.

@MayorofLondon

[NFRSA @The_NFRSA]

Here at the NFRSA, we're here for the big moments like surgeries, specialist investigations, and emergency treatment.

We're also committed to the everyday support and treatment which makes a huge difference to our members' quality of life.

Monthly medication and hydrotherapy for conditions such as arthritis may seem like a small expense, but over time those costs quickly add up.

By helping with these essentials, we can ensure our retired service animals remain comfortable, healthy, and cared for throughout their well-deserved retirement.

In the last month, with your support, we were proud to help 10 of our retired service animals with their ongoing medication needs.

🐾 Over 700 heroes registered
💝 Over £290,000 gifted in grants
❤️ 100% supporter funded
🇬🇧 Supporting retired Police, Prison, Fire, Border Force, NHS, MOD Police, NCA, and RAF Police service animals

https://t.co/0cCeb3Gn5L

[Countess Bathurst @CotswoldLadyB]

What a very special thing to do.

Adore you Roy Stone. 💜

[NFRSA @The_NFRSA]

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐅𝐑𝐒𝐀… ❤️🎶

We are absolutely thrilled, humbled, and incredibly proud to share the NFRSA now has its very own song.

What an extraordinary privilege.

‘𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝑲𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈’, written by Roy Stone, was created especially for the NFRSA and inspired by the work we do supporting our retired service animals.

Roy was so moved by the story of beautiful little RPD Mollie from @DogsHmpps (whose retirement we were honoured to support with her wheels and physiotherapy until she crossed Rainbow Bridge in May), he included her in his track.

But it is also a tribute to every member of our NFRSA family - every retired service dog and horse whose courage, loyalty and devotion deserve to be remembered and celebrated.

The track features on Roy’s stunning new album, ‘𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕’, available now on all major streaming platforms.

Every song on the album pays tribute to the remarkable serving dogs and horses who dedicate their lives to protecting us. The love, respect and emotion woven through every lyric is simply breathtaking.

We LOVE it!

Among Lady B’s personal favourites are ‘ 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑫𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆’ and ‘𝑮𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝑭𝒂𝒅𝒆’ - two beautiful songs perfectly capturing the extraordinary bond between handler and partner, and the heartache which comes when that partnership finally comes to an end.

This is an album that will touch the heart of anyone who has ever loved a working animal, or and will appeal to any animal lover.

Why not try it by downloading or streaming ‘𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕‘. It is a truly remarkable piece of work, created with immense compassion and understanding for our four-legged heroes.

Roy, thank you. We are beyond grateful, deeply honoured, and will treasure ‘𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝑲𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈’ forever.

Together, we dedicate this beautiful song to every member of the NFRSA family… those with us today, those we have loved and lost, and those who will join our family in the years to come.

❤️🐾 Protecting Our Protectors.

https://t.co/gvUYQ0Z43S

iTunes: https://t.co/JaxcGK2OBp

Spotify: https://t.co/c2VMJy3xQd

[NFRSA @The_NFRSA]

Huge thanks to @DerbysDogPolice and @DerbysPolice for holding a fundraiser for the NFRSA.

It means so much to us to know dog handlers from constabularies are behind us, and believe in what we do.

It’s a privilege to be there for your retired police dogs - we always will be.

Teamwork!

Love to you from us all here at the NFRSA. We will see you very soon!