Last month, the canine unit of West Midlands Police welcomed a new litter of German shepherds. They arrived just in time when the entire country was placed under lockdown. So, to thank the NHS heroes who are working on the frontlines against the novel coronavirus, the officers decided to use names that show gratitude to them.
There were four girls and three boys in the litter, who were born about a month ago at the dog training center in Balsall Common. The police department asked the members of the public to recommend names for these puppies. According to them, they were looking for great puppy names that epitomize the NHS to show how grateful they are to the “life-saving carers” during the pandemic.
🐶 #NHS | Our latest police puppies have just been born. As a thank you to our life-saving carers we want your help to name our “NHS Heroes” litter.
💙 Reply with your suggestions. Come up with names that show the gratitude we all have for our #NHSheroes during #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/3uHCY0Pu6g
— West Midlands Police – #StayAlert (@WMPolice) April 16, 2020
The people were given a week to come up with the names, and the police department will pick the best seven. For starters, the officers came up with sample recommendations like Nightingale and Heart. They asked the public to comment their suggestions and vote by liking the name.
After the announcement was made, people started commenting their suggestions. Some nominated the name “Captain Tom Moore” after the 99-year-old veteran. Recently, Captain Moore made headlines as he raised over £16 million for the NHS. Others also suggested naming the puppies after the NHS staff who saved the West Midlands officer who almost died due to COVID-19.
We’re delighted to introduce our new #NHS heroes litter − a super cute collection of five-week old German shepherd pups which you’ve helped name.
👑 Royal
💙 Doyle
🙏 Prayer
👼 Angel
💕 Florence
🤍 Hope
🌈 RainbowFull story ➡️ https://t.co/xgX5HzWGEQ pic.twitter.com/LVjIb24Csd
— West Midlands Police – #StayAlert (@WMPolice) April 27, 2020
A week later, the nomination and voting were finally over. West Midlands Police announced the best seven names through their website and official Twitter account. The future K9 crime fighters will be named Royal, Doyle, Prayer, Angel, Florence, Hope, and Rainbow.
The police thanked the community for their help and brilliant response. They said that they received thousands of great suggestions, so picking the best seven was a tough decision. According to the officers, these names capture the NHS spirit and the incredibly crucial job that they do to help the people through during this pandemic.
Credit: West Midlands Police