Pets with a toolkit: Protection dogs train to handle burglars as sports stars boost home security

Pets with a toolkit: Protection dogs train to handle burglars as sports stars boost home security
Sean Bly pets her German Shepherd puppies at the Strapestone Kennels in Radstock, England, Wednesday, March 5, 2025 as they will later in life become family protection dogs. (AP)
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Updated 19 May 2025
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Pets with a toolkit: Protection dogs train to handle burglars as sports stars boost home security

Pets with a toolkit: Protection dogs train to handle burglars as sports stars boost home security
  • Expensive protection dogs have been in demand among professional athletes to guard against burglars who target wealthy homes as part of sophisticated rings
  • The lengthy list of athletes whose residences have been hit includes England cricket captain Ben Stokes’ home was burglarized while he was playing in Pakistan

EMBOROUGH, England: Scream all you want, but Lobo isn’t letting go.

The young German shepherd has chomped into the arm of a would-be attacker wearing a padded suit at K9 Protector in southwest England.

A command later, Lobo is back at the feet of Alaster Bly and awaiting his next instruction.

“I describe them as pets with a toolkit built into them. A toolkit that you hope you’re never going to use,” said Bly, K9 Protector co-owner.

Expensive protection dogs like Lobo have been in demand among professional athletes to guard against burglars who target wealthy homes often as part of sophisticated crime rings. Athletes are particularly vulnerable while they’re away at games.

“He will end up in somebody’s home with high-net worth that is potentially at risk from more than your opportunist burglar,” Bly said of Lobo, who costs 45,000 pounds ($60,000) and boasts a Bavarian bloodline that is “second to none.”




German Shepherd family protection dog Lobo listens to owner Alaster Bly at the Strapestone Kennels in Radstock, England, on March 5, 2025. (AP)

The lengthy list of athletes whose residences have been hit includes Premier League stars Jack Grealish and Alexander Isak. England cricket captain Ben Stokes’ home was burglarized while he was playing in Pakistan.

It’s becoming a major problem in the United States, too, with former NFL cornerback Richard Sherman a recent example.

The homes of Kansas City Chiefs teammates Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were burglarized in October as part of a wave of break-ins that also targeted Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Seven Chilean men were charged in connection with those burglaries, as well as the break-in at Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis’ home, where nearly $1.5 million in cash and valuables were stolen.

After consulting the FBI, the NBA drew up guidance for players.

One of the recommendations: “Utilize dogs for home protection.”

WHICH BREED IS BEST?

While almost any dog can provide some deterrence, protection-dog providers offer breeds like German shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Rottweiler, Doberman and Cane Corso.

Bly and his wife, K9 Protector co-owner Sian Bly, work predominantly with German shepherds.

“They are the most proven dogs at being family dogs,” Alaster Bly said.

They begin to differentiate early on which pups show potential.

“If we’ve got a puppy that’s really confident, is chasing a rag, biting hold of the rag, and their food drive is high, that’s a good starting point,” Sian Bly said. “We look at how competitive they are with their siblings, as well. You’re looking for quite a strong dog.”

Dogs that don’t make the cut might get routed to prison service or police duty.

“You can’t place a dog with young kids that’s nervous or that the temperament isn’t 100 percent,” she said.

PROTECTION DOGS ARE EXPENSIVE

The handful of K9 Protector dogs that reach “high-threat environment” status cost up to 75,000 pounds ($100,000).

It can take a couple of years to train for all sorts of scenarios.

“It’s vast — the ability to deal with four intruders at once, vehicle carjacking tactics, being acceptant of multi-handlers,” Alaster Bly said. “Husband, wife, nanny, housekeeper, estate manager all being able to handle that dog in an equal way in a threat scenario, and the dog still responding in the same way — is very different to a pet-level-trained dog with protection training.”

Clients must be a good match, though.

Sian Bly said if they think a buyer “might use the dog in the wrong way, then we don’t sell them the dog. It doesn’t matter about the finances.”

Between 10-15 percent of their clients are professional athletes and they typically require nondisclosure agreements, as do the actors and singers who come calling.

They sell about two or three dogs per month. When the economy is bad and crime increases — demand is higher. Winter months see more sales and the pandemic period of 2020-21 was “the busiest we’ve ever been,” Sian Bly said.

UFC FIGHTER ASPINALL PICKS A GERMAN SHEPHERD

UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall added a protection dog to his family after moving to a new house. The Manchester native posted a video about it.

“I’m not here all the time. I just wanted someone else kind of looking after the family, as well as me, even when I’m here,” Aspinall said of his German shepherd.

US soccer midfielder Tyler Adams opted for a Rottweiler from Total K9, the North Yorkshire company that provided Aspinall’s dog.

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison got a 145-pound Cane Corso from Leicestershire-based Chaperone K9, which also counts Grealish as a client.

Grealish’s mansion was burglarized just after Christmas in 2023 while the Manchester City midfielder was playing a game at Everton. Family members called police when they heard noises and after Grealish’s Belgian Malinois and Cockapoo reportedly started barking.

Grealish later called it “a traumatic experience for all of us, I am just so grateful that nobody was hurt.”

TIPS FOR HOME SECURITY

The NBA memo urged removing online real estate listings that show interiors.

Some stars post their protection dogs on social media along with the pets’ names — but they probably shouldn’t.

“There is nothing more off-putting to a dog than being called by its own name when you’re breaking into the home,” Alaster Bly said.

The Blys use German commands, which buyers must learn.

On K9 Protector’s website, former long-distance runner Mo Farah, a four-time Olympic champion, described turning to a protection dog after his home was burglarized despite an alarm system, video coverage and 24-hour security patrols.

Intruders at Burrow’s house eluded manned security at his property while he was playing a Monday Night Football game at Dallas in December. The criminal complaint on the Chilean crew said they liked to approach from “a wooded or dark area.”

KNOWING THE RULES

Under the UK’s “Guard Dogs Act,” someone capable of controlling a guard dog must be at the premises, and a notice must be posted at the entrance about the dog.

Technically, there are scenarios that could result in criminal prosecution of dog owners in Britain — even in burglaries.

The National Association of Security Dog Users “does not promote the use of dogs as personal/family protection dogs and issues no certification or training courses in relation to this type of dog,” said Roger Flett, a NASDU director.

Samantha Gaines of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals warned against the “glamorization” of painful ear-cropping on breeds like Doberman and Cane Corso. The procedure is prohibited in England and Wales, but it’s legal to import them that way.

UK BURGLARIES ARE DECREASING

It’s unknown if break-ins at wealthy homes are increasing, but statistics for England and Wales show residential burglaries overall are decreasing.

From the year ending March 2018 to the year ending September 2024, there was a 42 percent drop, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Just a small percentage of burglaries get solved, however. Only in late 2022 did police chiefs commit to responding to all break-ins.

Alaster Bly, a former police officer, said it’s not just about burglaries. A CEO of a company might be facing a threat, or a person might be dealing with a stalker.

“There are life-changing incidents that take place regularly,” he said. “The array of problems and crime that’s going on in the UK at the moment keeps us busy.”


Mediterranean rescuers say saved 175,000 people since 2015

Mediterranean rescuers say saved 175,000 people since 2015
Updated 9 sec ago
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Mediterranean rescuers say saved 175,000 people since 2015

Mediterranean rescuers say saved 175,000 people since 2015
  • The majority had died in the central Mediterranean, waters between between Libya, Tunisia, Italy and Malta
  • In that area, the equivalent of five adults and one child lost their lives every day over the past decade
BERLIN: Maritime rescue organizations said Wednesday they had pulled more than 175,000 people from the Mediterranean over the past 10 years, as waves of migrants sought to use the dangerous sea route to reach Europe.
The group of 21 NGOS active in the region estimated that at least 28,932 people had died while trying to cross the sea since 2015.
The majority had died in the central Mediterranean – waters between between Libya, Tunisia, Italy and Malta – Mirka Schaefer of German NGO SOS Humanity told a Berlin press conference.
In that area, the equivalent of five adults and one child lost their lives every day over the past decade, she said.
The number of unrecorded cases was likely to be “significantly higher,” she added.
Of the 21 organizations currently engaged in maritime rescue in the region, 10 of them are based in Germany. Between them the groups operate 15 boats, four sail ships and four planes.
The organizations have frequently clashed with authorities over their rescue operations, which were launched as Europe’s migration crisis broke out in 2015, when hundreds of thousands headed to the continent, mostly from the Middle East.
In Italy the current government has vowed to end crossings and attacked NGOs for creating a “pull factor” that encourages departures, something migration observers say is unproven.
Giorgia Meloni’s hard-right government has passed laws requiring rescue ships to return to a designated port, a measure NGOs say is contrary to maritime law.
“The pressure on us is growing,” Schaefer said, criticizing a lack of support from the German government.
The rescue organizations were calling on Berlin to support “an effective, coordinated sea rescue program, fully funded by the EU,” Sea Watch spokeswoman Giulia Messmer said at the press conference.
The proposal, which had been sent to the German government and to the European Commission, called for the EU to spend between €108 million-€240 million ($124 million-$276 million) a year on rescue patrols and arrival centers.

India’s commerce minister heads to UK to fast-track free trade deal

India’s commerce minister heads to UK to fast-track free trade deal
Updated 17 min 42 sec ago
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India’s commerce minister heads to UK to fast-track free trade deal

India’s commerce minister heads to UK to fast-track free trade deal
  • FTA talks started in 2022 and stalled over tariffs, mobility for services professionals
  • Deal-in-principle was announced by Indian, British PMs last month

New Delhi

India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has embarked on a two-day visit to the UK to accelerate talks on a long-pending bilateral free trade agreement, his office said on Wednesday.

Launched in January 2022, the FTA negotiations between India and the UK were set to conclude the same year, but despite more than a dozen formal rounds, talks have stalled over issues like tariffs, rules of origin and mobility for services professionals.

A deal-in-principle was announced in May by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart, Keir Starmer.

Goyal’s UK visit comes in the “backdrop of the announcement” and “aims to accelerate bilateral engagements and harness emerging opportunities,” the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement.

The minister is scheduled to meet UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds to “review the progress made in the ongoing FTA negotiations and chart out a clear, time-bound road map for its finalization and implementation.”

If Goyal’s visit succeeds in producing an implementation road map with timelines, he would be able to start negotiations on a bilateral investment treaty with the UK, Anupam Manur, professor of economics at the Takshashila Institution in Bangalore, told Arab News.

“A working FTA for India is extremely important, especially in a scenario where global trade uncertainty is at an all-time high due to the trade war and tariffs imposed by President Trump,” Manur said.

“In this scenario, an FTA with the UK delivers greater certainty to India, provides market access to an important large economy, and will also act as a leverage point for trade negotiations with the US.”

India has so far signed 14 free trade agreements with 25 countries, along with several regional and preferential trade pacts covering additional nations. These include agreements with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan, South Korea, Australia and the UAE.

Talks are also ongoing with the Gulf Cooperation Council and the EU — with commitments to conclude talks in 2025.


UK police slammed for not arresting US diplomat’s wife in fatal crash

UK police slammed for not arresting US diplomat’s wife in fatal crash
Updated 20 min 58 sec ago
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UK police slammed for not arresting US diplomat’s wife in fatal crash

UK police slammed for not arresting US diplomat’s wife in fatal crash
  • Anne Sacoolas, who was driving on the wrong side of the road outside the US military base at RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, killed teenager Harry Dunn

LONDON: An independent review in Britain criticized police on Wednesday for failing to arrest a US diplomat’s wife after she killed a British teenager in a car accident before fleeing the country in 2019.

The accident in which Harry Dunn, 19, died became a diplomatic issue between the UK and United States, leading to his family meeting US President Donald Trump at the White House.

Anne Sacoolas, who was driving on the wrong side of the road outside the US military base at RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, claimed in the ensuing days to have diplomatic immunity.

Sacoolas, whose husband was an intelligence official and has herself been reported to have been a CIA operative, left Britain soon after hitting Dunn on his motorbike in the August 2019 accident.

The review, commissioned by Northamptonshire’s chief constable, Ivan Balhatchet, said the decision not to arrest her was partly based on “information received that Anne Sacoolas was in shock.”

“While the welfare of any person is a concern for officers, this should not have prevented the arrest of Anne Sacoolas,” it said.

The review said officers made the decision believing Dunn’s injuries to be survivable and that had this not been the case they would have made an arrest.

But it found that after his death there was no further discussion documented of whether Sacoolas should be detained.

“The review has potentially highlighted a culture of not arresting... which could lead to evidence not being obtained and influencing a charging decision or a sentence on conviction,” it said.

The review also criticized the Northamptonshire force’s former chief Nick Adderley.

After relations with Dunn’s family broke down there were “multiple areas of direct involvement from CC (Chief Constable) Adderley which had a detrimental impact” on the senior investigating officer and their team as they tried to “rebuild trust,” it added.

After her return to the United States, Sacoolas refused to go back to the UK to face court proceedings.

She eventually pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving via video link from the US to a London court.

She was handed an eight-month prison sentence in December 2022, suspended for 12 months, meaning she would not serve jail time unless she committed another offense in that time.

Reacting to the review, Dunn’s mother Charlotte Charles said it “confirms what we have known for years — that we were failed by the very people we should have been able to trust.”

“Harry was left to die on the roadside. Sacoolas was not arrested, even though the police had every power to do so,” she said.


Smartphones banned from schools in Afghan Taliban’s heartland

Smartphones banned from schools in Afghan Taliban’s heartland
Updated 18 June 2025
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Smartphones banned from schools in Afghan Taliban’s heartland

Smartphones banned from schools in Afghan Taliban’s heartland
  • A ban on smartphones in schools issued by Taliban authorities in southern Afghanistan came into force, students and teachers confirmed to AFP on Wednesday, over concerns of “focus” and “Islamic law“

AFGHANISTAN: A ban on smartphones in schools issued by Taliban authorities in southern Afghanistan came into force, students and teachers confirmed to AFP on Wednesday, over concerns of “focus” and “Islamic law.”
The directive by the provincial Education Department in Kandahar applies to students, teachers and administrative staff in schools and religious schools.
“This decision has been made to ensure educational discipline, focus,” the statement said, adding that it was taken from a “sharia perspective” and that smartphones contribute to “the destruction of the future generation.”
The policy, which has already taken effect in schools across the province, has divided opinion among teachers and students.
“We did not bring smart phones with us to school today,” Saeed Ahmad, a 22-year-old teacher, told AFP.
“I think this is a good decision so that there is more focus on studies,” he added.
Mohammad Anwar, an 11th grader, said “the teachers are saying if anyone is seen bringing a phone, they will start searching the students.”
Another 12th-grade student, refusing to give his name, said the ban would hinder learning in a country where girls are barred from secondary school and university as part of restrictions the UN has dubbed “gender apartheid.”
“When the teacher writes a lesson on the board, I often take a picture so I could write it down later. Now I can’t. This decision will negatively affect our studies.”


The ban has also taken root in religious schools known as madrassas.
“Now there’s a complete ban. No one brings smartphones anymore,” Mohammad, 19 years old madrassa student said.
A number of countries have in recent years moved to restrict mobile phones from classrooms such as France, Denmark and Brazil.
The Taliban authorities have already introduced a ban on images of living beings in media, with multiple provinces announcing restrictions and some Taliban officials refusing to be photographed or filmed.
The Taliban’s Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada called last week on officials and scholars to reduce their use of smartphones.
“This is the order of the leaders, and we must accept it,” a 28-year-old security forces member told AFP without giving his name as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
“I have now found a brick phone ... I used WhatsApp on my smartphone sometimes, but now I don’t use it anymore,” he added.
Some Taliban officials in Kandahar have started sharing their numbers for brick phones and switching off online messaging apps.


Israel military raids West Bank camps

Israel military raids West Bank camps
Updated 18 June 2025
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Israel military raids West Bank camps

Israel military raids West Bank camps
  • Israeli forces enter Balata camp near the northern city of Nablus for a routine counter-terrorism operation
  • Troops had also been deployed to the nearby Askar camp prior to the operation in Balata camp

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Israeli troops raided two Palestinian refugee camps in the occupied West Bank’s north overnight, the military said, as Israel presses offensives on multiple fronts.

The military said that at “around 4:00 a.m. Israeli forces entered Balata camp,” near the northern city of Nablus, for “a routine counter-terrorism operation.”

It added that the troops had been deployed to the nearby Askar camp prior to the operation in Balata camp.

Imad Zaki, head of the popular services committee of Balata camp, also said that the military began its raid at 4:00 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Wednesday.

“They closed all entrances to the camp, seized several homes after evicting their residents, and ordered the homeowners not to return for 72 hours. These homes were turned into military outposts and interrogation centers,” Zaki said.

“The soldiers are conducting house-to-house and neighborhood-to-neighborhood searches, destroying the contents of homes and physically assaulting the residents,” Zaki said.

He added that life had been “largely paralyzed” for the camp’s residents but that no injuries were reported.

In a separate statement, the military said that its forces had “neutralized” one Palestinian overnight in the West Bank village of Al-Walaja near Jerusalem.

They said that as the troops were deployed in the area, a Palestinian armed with a knife “attempted to stab (Israeli) soldiers who were operating in the area and steal their weapons.”

“The soldiers responded with fire and neutralized the terrorist,” the army said, using a term it normally uses when someone has been killed.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that its forces had been active in various parts of the Jenin area, in the northern West Bank.

It said in a statement that its forces had arrested five Palestinian militants suspected of planning attacks on Israel.

Throughout the Gaza war, violence in the West Bank – a separate Palestinian territory – has soared, as have calls to annex it, most notably from Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Since the start of the war in October 2023, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 939 Palestinians, including many militants, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Over the same period, at least 35 Israelis including civilians and soldiers have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military raids, according to official Israeli figures.