Interview: Rob Rattenbury talks about Dante Road
Rob Rattenbury joined the NZ police in January 1970 as a cadet, retiring as a Senior Sergeant in 1992. From 1976 to 1979, he was Wellington’s first Explosive Detector Dog Handler before being promoted back to general duties as a Sergeant. He was otherwise stationed at Lower Hutt, Masterton, Wellington CIB, Lower Hutt again and then Whanganui. After policing, Rob joined ACC and worked in injury rehabilitation for another 21 years, also attending Auckland University during that time for a Postgraduate Diploma in Health. Rob is now retired from full-time work and lives with his wife Jenny still in Whanganui. However, always being a writer, he published his first book in 2018, So You Want to Be a Cop, followed by A Battered Proud Badge in 2020. His first fiction work, Heist in the Hutt was published in 2025. From 2019 to 2024 Rob wrote a weekly column for the Whanganui Chronicle and other papers in the NZME group. He was a nominee for the 2020 Voyageur Media Awards as a columnist. Rob talks to NZ Booklovers.
Tell us a little about Dante Road.
The NZ Police Dog Section was formed in August 1956 with English Sergeant Frank Riley, two German Shepherds, Miska and Dante and some pups in Trentham. He was joined by Constables Allan Symes and Colin Guppy, who became the first handlers for Dante. Since then, despite some early naysayers, the section has grown to a sworn staff of 183 with nine civilian staff and veterinary support from Massey University. From one old decrepit van, the section now has 135 modern vehicles. This is their history.
What inspired you to write this book?
This book exists because one man recognised the risk of the 70 year history of the New Zealand Police dog Section being lost forever.
In late 2021, retired Senior Sergeant John Edmonds MSM—who began his Dog Section career in Auckland in 1985 and later served in Rotorua, as an instructor at the Police Dog Training Centre, and as Chief Dog Trainer—was asked about the origins of the Toby White Memorial Trophy, presented annually to Bay of Plenty dog handlers. His research revealed the trophy was donated by the family of Kelvin (Toby) De Clive White, a Waikato dog handler who died in 1982 at just 43 years of age.
That discovery highlighted a deeper truth: the stories, service, and sacrifices of the New Zealand Police Dog Section were fragmenting with time. John recognised that unless decisive action was taken, significant chapters of Police history would quietly disappear. From that moment, this project was born.
Police form a huge part of the social history of our young nation. With the backing of the New Zealand Police Dog Charitable Trust—who agreed not only to fund the research but to receive the proceeds of the book’s sale for the benefit of the Dog Section—John set about ensuring that this history would be properly captured, preserved, and shared.
He was joined by another deeply respected Dog Section veteran, retired Sergeant Paul Selby MSM. Paul joined the Dog Section in 1975 in Whangārei and went on to serve in Tauranga and Christchurch as Dog Section Training Sergeant before finishing his career as Sergeant in Charge of the Tauranga/Whakatāne Dog Sections. Together, John and Paul brought decades of experience, credibility, and trust—essential to encouraging former and serving handlers to tell their stories openly and honestly.
“Recognising that the story deserved to be told with care and skill, the team engaged retired Senior Sergeant Robert Rattenbury as author. Appointed to the Dog Section in 1976 as Wellington’s first Explosive Detector Dog Handler, Rob brought both operational insight and proven writing expertise. An author of three books. A Voyager Media Awards nominee, he had also written widely as a newspaper columnist for over five years following his retirement from Police.” – Assistant Commissioner Tim Anderson, New Zealand Police.
What research was involved? We understand that John Edmonds and Paul Selby helped with the research; can you tell us about their involvement?
John and Paul identified handlers, both ex and present who had helped shaped the history of the Police Dog Section in New Zealand, through their experiences and how what some of them did made what the section is today. So they both interviewed and voice recorded approximately 70 current and ex handlers, spending over a year criss-crossing New Zealand, north and south. These voice recordings were then transcribed into written documents.
John and Paul then identified which of the stories we would use. John constructed these stories into the basic chapters we had decided upon. Once John had completed each chapter he forwarded these to me to shape into readable and hopefully entertaining chapters for a wide public audience. Then our two invaluable editors Joy Leach and Fran Waldrom did their bit.
Once the chapters were completed John then needed to sort photos to go with them. Rowan Carroll from the New Zealand Police Museum was a great help here as were families of our first handlers. John and Paul then sorted what photos we would use.
John then went through each chapter and worked out where each photo would go.
For all of us an important part of our history was recognising handlers who had received both Royal and Police honours, all handlers who had served on the various dog sections since 1956, the national police dog champions in all three disciplines, Patrol Dog, Explosive Detector Dog and Narcotic Detector Dog and the last appendix, dogs killed on duty. So, John put together the 4 appendices and, with the help of Rowan, for the handlers' names for royal and police honours, the section NCOs for their respective honours' boards, researched and constructed each appendix. I also got input from the DTC for the national champions.
What was your routine or process when writing this book?
As a writer I was privileged to be asked to be involved in this five-year long project. I came on board about four years ago when John and Paul were having the taped interviewed transcribed.
John would send me the transcribed interviews, as above, and I would spend time writing and structuring the words for use in a book. We all agreed we wanted it to be more than a niche book on police history and dog training, a book that could be read by all ages. Some of what was said in the interviews had to be either sanitised or toned down as we wanted younger people to read it too.
Luckily as all very experienced retired police officers used to dealing with media we had some experience at this.
Once I had completed a draft chapter I would send it on to Joy and Fran via John for editing, the really important work done when writing a book, the finishing touches. As a writer it is a time to let go of stuff and place one’s faith in well-qualified editors.
We would then all meet via Messenger and go through the chapter discussing changes and other ideas that could be used. It worked very well as we are a very tight team who value and respect each other immensely. Friends.
Being ex-police was a huge boon to me as the writer as I know the thoughts and emotions involved in the stories, the risks and the perils of working alone on very dangerous jobs.
I know fear and how one manages that.
Of course I also know many of the ex handlers interviewed personally as well.
If a soundtrack were made to accompany this book, name a song or two you would include.
“Memories” by Maroon 5
“If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher
What did you enjoy the most about writing Dante Road?
The stories, interacting with the whole team involved. The memories resurrected after many years lying dormant somewhere in the back of my mind. Just reading the stories was humbling and often emotional. Also a lot of laughs. Laughter and humour are coping mechanism police officers use a lot. Even old retired ones.
If you had to choose your favourite dog from the book, who would it be, and why did you choose them?
I asked John and Paul this. We had a bit of a chuckle. Our own dogs came first of course, but we all agreed that Dante is the dog that means the most in terms of our history. Dante was an English-bred dog brought to New Zealand in 1956 by the first Chief Dog Trainer, Frank Riley, an English police officer who transferred to our police.
Dante was a huge dog I’m told, 60 kilograms or 120 pounds in old money. He was also the first operational police dog in New Zealand with his handler Constable Colin Guppy. A huge job back then.
How did you celebrate finishing this book?
Personally I had a huge ice cream sundae. We haven’t all met up yet to have a joint celebration. That will happen at a book launch coming up in Wellington before the end of the year at Parliament.
What is your favourite book you have read so far this year, and why?
It would have to be Vincent O’Malley’s “The Great War in New Zealand – 1820 to 2000”
What’s next on the agenda for you?
I’ve started a second crime novel based on the same fictitious team of detectives that appeared in “Heist In The Hutt” last year. That is making slow progress, what with the marketing and work involved in getting Dante Road out there.
I have also been experimenting with the short story genre. Something I enjoy. These may or may not appear in public. I’m thinking about that. Always something on the go.
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