A multi award winning five-year-old retired K9 officer from Kent Police, is facing the fight of her life.

Coty’s story is one of extraordinary service, loyalty, and courage. From the age of just 10 weeks, she began her career with Kent Police and quickly distinguished herself with exceptional intelligence and dedication.

By 2021, Coty had already made a national name for herself – taking part in the G7 Summit in Cornwall, winning categories at the regional and national trials, and achieving outstanding results in tracking and crowd control.

But Coty was more than a champion. She was a frontline asset in major operations – tracking down fleeing suspects across fields, through rivers, and even locating vital DNA evidence in violent crimes. Her tenacity led to multiple arrests and her bravery protected countless lives.

“She was fearless,” says Lisa, Coty’s former handler and now her loving owner. “She lived for the job – always the first to leap into action, to sniff out a clue, to stand between danger and me. She gave everything. And now… She can’t even stand properly on her own.”

Coty’s career was tragically cut short in 2024 when her back legs began to fail. Initial surgery removed two cysts from her spine, offering brief hope. But just after Christmas, Coty collapsed again. Since then, she’s endured months of medical treatment and tests – but her condition continues to worsen.

Now, specialists believe Coty’s only hope is a complex procedure to insert stabilising rods into two areas of her spine. The operation could give her back her mobility – and her chance to enjoy the joyful retirement she so deserves.

“She just wants to run again,” says Lisa, through tears. “To swim, to play, to feel the sun, the grass, and the wind. She’s only five. She deserves more than this. She did so much for me, and I feel helpless not being able to protect her. If it wasn’t for the NFRSA, there would be little hope and that just breaks me. I don’t know what I’d do without them.”

The £14,000 surgery is Coty’s last chance – and thanks to the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals, it will happen.

“This is exactly what we are here for,” says The Countess Bathurst, Founder and Chair of the NFRSA. “Our service animals give their lives to our country and communities with unwavering loyalty, and in ways many of us could never possibly comprehend. Coty is no exception, and she deserves every chance we can give her. We are proud to be funding her surgery; and we have been, and will be with Lisa every step of the way. But we can only do this with the support of the public.”

“We are doing everything we can for Coty,” says Lady Bathurst. “But it’s the people who give, share, and support us who are also the real heroes now. We would be so grateful if our wonderful animal-loving British public could please help us to give Coty her Golden Years by donating what they can to help us reach our target. Every penny will make a difference.

Donations can be made through Coty’s JustGiving Campaign