Calls for police dogs to be awarded government pensions when they retire
By Norman Silvester
A Scottish police dog called Keach could be one of the first in Britain to get its own government pension.
A charity that supports police dogs when they retire has launched a campaign calling for pensions for all police service animals when they retire.
The Thin Blue Paw Foundation has also launched a petition calling for the Government to introduce mandatory financial assistance for retired canines – or police dog pensions as they are calling them.
Blue Paw say owners are currently left with hefty vet bills as former police dogs are more prone to health and medical problems due to their strenuous working lives.
Fourteen-year-old German Shepherd Keach was bred by West Midlands Police in England and became a police dog there before moving to Police Scotland when she was two.
She was partnered with Constable Julie Roy as a general purpose police dog and served for six years before retiring to live with Julie and her other dog, Mollie.
At 12, Keach was diagnosed with spondylosis (arthritis of the spine) and arthritis in her knee; As a result she needs regular pain relief to manage the conditions, which the Thin Blue Paw Foundation pays for.
Julie said: ' Vet bills are expensive and our dogs have worked hard in their working life, putting extra strain on the joints and the body. "These dogs deserve to have ongoing support when they retire, so they can access the medication and treatment they need having served their communities for so long.'
During his time in with Police Scotland Keach, who was based in Edinburgh, specialised in searching for missing persons but also helped nab his fair share of crooks.
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Blue Paw supports retired police dogs across the UK and since launching in August 2020 has provided grants totalling more than £380,000 for surgery medication, and regular therapy.
Blue Paw Foundation Chairman Kieran Stanbridge added: '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."
There are around 1,700 serving police dogs operating across the UK's 45 police forces, and an estimated 100 retire every year.
Blue Foundation says arthritis is the most common condition it helps owners treat and, based on an average of £200 each month for pain-relief medication, estimates that it costs around £2,400 a year more to care for a retired police dog than a normal pet dog of a similar age and breed.
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