MORE than 40 times in his 36-year police career, former Cairns Police dog squad officer Sergeant Dave Raymond needed medical attention for injuries incurred “on the job”.
But far from feeling sorry for himself, now retired Mr Raymond is channelling his years of experience to help do good for others.
Retired since September 2025, Mr Raymond has written a book about one of his famous police dogs, Vader, and is now thrilled to host a fundraising lunch for the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.
“There’s lots of charities I could have supported with this, but I’ve been to hospital or sought medical treatment 41 times through work, so it made sense to support the hospital,” Mr Raymond said. “That’s not a bad thing about the police service, it’s just the nature of being a dog squad officer, it’s very physical.”
“As well Cairns and Atherton Hospitals have been incredible, saving the life of my mother after my father died just a few weeks ago so I’m very grateful for the care we all receive,” he said.
Set in the world of real-life policing in North Queensland, his compelling stories explore courage, loyalty and the extraordinary bond between a police dog and his handler. Lunch attendees will hear the stories that shaped Vader’s legacy and the moments that defined life on the frontline.
The event will be hosted by respected former 4CA broadcaster John McKenzie at Ela Modern Bistro, guiding the conversation in an engaging and entertaining afternoon.
Mr Raymond described Vader as “not the nicest dog” towards humans, had plenty of mongrel in him and was always ready to work.
“As dog squad officers, you always need to be conscious of the dog’s welfare so there were plenty of times he wanted to keep going and chase baddies, but I knew he needed a rest or a big drink of water before we kept going,” he said.
While Vader (and his handler) became famous around the country for their roles catching criminals and saving lives, Mr Raymond said there were plenty of times they “didn’t get their man”.
“Sometimes if a baddie got in a car, you’d lose the scent or the dog would be confused by other scents. But he was an incredible dog and there’s lots of amazing stories to tell about him.”
Foundation Fundraising and Marketing Manager Jenny Coates said she was excited to hear more of Mr Raymond’s stories.
“The other thing that’s truly remarkable is that despite all the attention that Vader and Dave received over the years, he is incredibly humble and wants to give back to others,” Mrs Coates said.
Lunch with a Legend – crime, clues and Vader, will be held on Friday, June 5 from 11.30am at Ela Modern Bistro. Tickets are available https://fundraising.fnqhf.org.au/event/lunch-with-a-legend or at https://bit.ly/LunchwithaLegend
Photo: Retired dog squad police officer Dave Raymond with Foundation Fundraising and Marketing Manager Jenny Coates.
