Pension charity to help with costs of looking after retired West Midlands Police dogs
Police dogs in the West Midlands will soon be able to benefit from a pension style charity fund which is being set up to help care for them after they retire.
It is hoped the new service will stop the animals from becoming a financial drain on those who adopt them as pets after they finish their service. The police says the officers and members of the public who take them on can be left with large vet bills as the dogs get older.
David Hibbert, a volunteer West Midlands Police puppy walker, is the driving force behind the launch of the Retired Police Dog Benevolent Fund.
He said: "Police dogs play a vital role in cutting crime and protecting the public but when they retire from service they don't receive any financial support or 'pension' as such. Most handlers couldn't bear the thought of giving up their dog on retirement so keep them as pets. But with budgets squeezed it's getting harder to cover care costs and some handlers are having to reluctantly give up their dog for financial reasons.
"Police dogs tend to retire at around eight to 10-years-old but there are dogs that, due to unforeseen circumstances like illness or injury, that have to be retired much earlier."
That can mean many years of vet's and drugs bills and, as it's almost impossible to source pet insurance for former operational dogs, those expenses must be met by the adoptive owner."
He added: "Money from the fund can help pay for treatment like operations, blood tests, medication, X-rays or hydro-therapy. It will help support handlers in ensuring the lives of retired police dogs remain as long, healthy and enjoyable as possible and that a handler's decision on the future of their dog is less about finances and more on the dog's quality of life." Up to 10 police dogs each year retire from active duty in West Midlands Police and the fund which will be officially launched in the coming weeks will be available to anyone who cares for dogs previously operational with the force.
The independent fund will have its own committee with members coming from a diverse background including vets, trainers and canine welfare experts.
Anyone interested in joining the committee and any businesses that may be able to offer goods or services to support the charity are being urged to get in touch with Mr Hibbert.
For more information or to offer support please email retiredwmpd@gmail.com or on Twitter @RetiredWMP_Dog.
