West Midlands Police welcomes first ever wellbeing dog and wants you to help name her
West Midlands Police has welcomed a new furry recruit – who will play a different role to the traditional police dog.
The eight-week-old Maltipoo is the force's first ever wellbeing dog.
Maltipoos are a fairly new breed – with a small stature, rounded head and floppy ears, and they carry the appearance of a puppy for nearly their entire lives.
The little puppy joined her new owner this week – but is yet to be given a name and West Midlands Police is appealing for people in the region to help.
Inspector Paul Van Veen, from the Dudley partnerships team, came up with the proposal for the four-legged new recruit after seeing how well it worked in our forces that have already realised the benefits of time spent with a furry companion.
The pup’s handler – a trained mental health first aider – will bring the pup into school settings to help the police connect better with the children. The pup will also be on hand to provide emotional support following difficult or traumatic incidents.
As the newest member of the partnerships team, her role will be to support the wellbeing of our community, with her first deployments focused on helping vulnerable people as lockdown restrictions are lifted.
A spokesman for the force said: "As the first ever West Midlands Police therapy dog, it’s important to us that she has a meaningful name – and we want your help to decide what that name should be.
"Let us know what you would like her to be named and why. You can submit your entry in the comment section on Facebook, or send an email to dy_partnerships_team@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk.
"We will choose our favourite four and put it to a public vote as soon as possible."
