Eight-year-old German Shepherd RPD Cjak worked as a general purpose dog for the Ministry of Defence Police based in Oxfordshire until retiring earlier this year following seven years of service.

His owner, Luca, from Surrey, adopted him, and said: Whilst he was serving, Cjak was diagnosed with a detached retina in his right eye and he lost all vision. It didnt seem to bother him, cause him any discomfort, or affect his role, so he continued to work. My partner and I rehomed the big boy when he retired and he has settled into our family life perfectly.

The couple struggled to find insurance for Cjak - as with many former working dogs so signed him up with the Thin Blue Paw Foundation

Luca said: Unfortunately, we noticed a little red lump on Cjaks right eye and ran him up to the vets. He was a star at the surgery and was a hit with all the medical staff but, sadly, due to a build-up of pressure in his eye, there was no way they could save it and they told us he would need to have surgery to remove his eye at the cost of nearly £2,000.

We, like many other people, are feeling the impact of the cost of living crisis and had no idea how wed pay such a big, unexpected bill. I got on the phone to the Thin Blue Paw Foundation and the team was fantastic. I explained the situation and the charity agreed to pay the full amount."

Luca added: Cjak was a really brave boy and hes now fully on the road to recovery. We cannot thank the Foundation enough for everything they have done, and for the fantastic work they continue to do helping retired police dogs who struggle to get insured in their retirement due to the nature of their work. At such a time where money is tight for many and looks to only be getting worse in the near future, the Thin Blue Paw Foundation has really helped ease the financial burden.

Cjak recently underwent surgery to remove the eye and has since been discharged. This treatment was fully funded by the Thin Blue Paw Foundation.