Charity calls for pensions for all police service animals

THE THIN BLUE PAW FOUNDATION IS PETITIONING THE GOVERNMENT

- By DEBORAH HALL

A CHARITY that helps police dogs has called for “doggy pensions” for the service animals once they retire, revealing how it helped one former Humberside Police dog with a life-saving operation.

The Thin Blue Paw Foundation (TBPF) has launched a campaign, pressing the Government to introduce mandatory financial assistance for police dogs when they hang up their service badges.

It will mean new owners are not left facing hefty vet bills for dogs who often come with health and medical conditions, due to their strenuous working lives.

Kieran Stanbridge, chairman of TBPF, said: "Police dogs give the best years of their lives to the job.

"They throw themselves into dangerous situations without a second thought, they show unwavering loyalty to their handler and their job, and they give so much to help fight crime and keep the public safe.

"During their careers they receive the very best care and support from the force they serve with but, as soon as they hang up their harness, they’re on their own, and the responsibility for their often expensive care falls to their ex-handler or new owner.

"We believe that the Home Office who allocate funding to police forces nationally have an ethical and moral obligation to these dogs and shouldn't turn their backs on them when it's time to pay them back for everything they've done.