A dog who won the hearts of the nation on Britain’s Got Talent and made Simon Cowell cry has died.
Finn, who reached the finals of the 2019 edition of the ITV talent show with owner PC David Wardell, died at the age of 14.
His death was confirmed by The Thin Paw Foundation, which is a national charity supporting serving and retired police dogs, on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday.
Alongside two pictures of the pooch, the tribute read: ‘We’re deeply sad to announce the passing of our Ambassador, Retired Police Dog Finn at the age of 14.
‘He leaves a huge legacy behind, having saved the life of his handler PC Dave Wardell on duty, whilst he himself had been stabbed multiple times.
‘Following his recovery, Finn and Dave then went on to campaign for Finn’s law which gave greater protection for service animals across the United Kingdom.
‘Our thoughts are with Finn’s family at this very difficult time. Finn, your legacy will live on, may you stand down with pride. RIP Finn, 2009-2023.’
Finn and Dave were a hit with viewers for their telepathic routines, which saw the dog communicate words to his owner.
The canine impressed them even further when it was revealed that he saved Dave’s life in the line of duty back in 2016.
Finn jumped in front of a knife that was meant for Dave, and almost died as a result after being viciously stabbed in the head and chest by the assailant.
According to the Finn’s Law website, Finn had to endure four hours of surgery to save his life, and 11 weeks of recovery followed.
After their BGT audition, Simon said: ‘That was pretty incredible. That’s never happened on any show.
‘A dog will literally give up his life for you. For anyone who has been cruel to an animal or a dog, just remember if you had treated him well, they would have put their lives up ahead of you.’
Britain’s Got Talent is available to stream on ITVX.
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