Pet detective says ‘I’m a terrier who will not hand over – nothing like Ace Ventura’

The pet detective says he’s compared to Jim Carrey’s movie pet sleuth every time he’s on a job, but insists he’s nothing like Ace Ventura and said the film makes a ‘laughing stock’ of him

A real-life pet detective insists he’s nothing like Ace Ventura. Simon Henson, 50, has solved hundreds of missing animal cases – including one kidnapped by a landlord as collateral for rent.

But the former cop says he is compared to Jim Carrey’s movie pet sleuth every time he’s on a job – and blames the film for making his career into a “laughing stock”.

The Derby-born managing director of Titan Private Investigation said: “When I speak to people about the job, they just relate you to Ace Ventura and Jim Carrey and think you’re a bit of a laughing stock… but it’s very different in reality.

“Everything we do has to be intelligence-based and the evidence needs to be gathered lawfully – unlike Jim Carrey as Ace Ventura.

“We’re certainly seeing more and more pet thefts coming through – the industry’s booming.”

Speaking about how he would rather describe himself, Simon added: “I’m like a terrier – I just won’t give up.”

Jim Carrey’s rubber-faced goon of a pet PI was a Hawaiian shirt-loving Miami-based animal hunter who hit screens in the 1994 Ace Ventura: Pet Detective flick and a 1995 sequel.

Simon says his cases are far more serious than those in the comedy – and he specialises in pet crimes and mysteries involving cats, dogs and horses.

They have included dealing with warring spouses and family members stealing pets out of spite.

He has also reunited a woman with her beloved childhood horse after it was sold 15 years before he tracked it down.

Simon says every one of his days is different and he tries to “get to the bottom of every single case”.

He also definitely does not scream Ace Ventura’s “Alrighty then!” catchphrase.

Simon gets pestered for his thoughts on the fictional pet detective at least once a fortnight – but says the enquiries make him “laugh every time” as his cases are so serious.

Simon, who now uses drones to hunt for missing pets, spent nearly two decades working for Nottinghamshire Police.

He left the force to see “what’s on the outside”.

Simon – who owns a sausage dog called Frank – said the decision was one of the best of his life as it combined his investigative skills and love of animals.

His Titan Private Investigation now has 10 offices across the UK amid soaring rates of animal crime and theft.

He warned: “Only 2% of all pet thefts are detected, so that’s 98% which are unsolved and I just thought that was a massive injustice.”

Kennel Club figures from 2021 show 98% of dog theft criminals are never charged – and in more than half of cases a suspect is never identified.