Queensland Police search for missing dog PD Quizz

Helicopters, mounted police and families from across Queensland have joined the search for a beloved police dog who became separated from his handler while chasing a car thief through bushland west of Brisbane.

PD Quizz, a three-year-old sable German shepherd, has been missing since about 3:00am on Tuesday when he and his handler were called to Ipswich to track a man who allegedly fled from a stolen car.

Senior Sergeant Steve Lindsey, officer in charge of the Ipswich dog squad, said PD Quizz and his handler were chasing the suspect through thick bushland near Greenwood Village Road at Redbank Plains.

“Very uneven tracking conditions, there’s a lot of old mine sites and things like that around here and very heavy bushland,” Senior Sergeant Lindsey said.

“[The handler] became momentarily separated from the dog and the dog has just continued.”

He said the bond between a handler and a police dog was incredibly tight, and PD Quizz’s handler was “feeling the pain”.

“Too often we’re a bit robotic about these things; yes, he’s a working police dog … but he’s also a partner of the handler,” Senior Sergeant Lindsey said.

“We tend to forget a little bit about the family; the family is also feeling the pain of the dog being missing as is the whole police family.”

Polair, mounted police and the SES have joined the search for PD Quizz, while families have travelled hours to offer their support.

“Last night I came across a family who had driven down from Bribie Island to help search for the dog,” Senior Sergeant Lindsey said.

“It’s amazing that level of support from the community.”

Do not approach dog, police warn

Inspector Michael Thiesfield said anyone who sees PD Quizz should not try to catch or touch the dog but should contact Policelink immediately.

“We believe that the police dog isn’t dangerous, but we ask members of the public not to approach,” he said.

“We’ll continue searching throughout the day going into the evening.

“With the assets we’ve got available from the air … the mounted police, the SES, the police, the dog squad that hopefully we’ll get the resolution we’re looking for at some stage today.”

Senior Sergeant Lindsey said any information about PD Quizz was vital to the search.

“I’d like to reach out to the public to dig deep, check your backyards, reach out to your neighbours, ask them if they are aware of the search,” he said.

“Obviously our concern is that the dog has been missing for 24 hours.

“Make sure everyone in your immediate area is aware that we are currently searching for a dog.”