Police dogs to get welfare checks under new scheme

A scheme to check on police dog welfare has been rolled out in Wiltshire after a successful pilot in the north of England.

The Animal Welfare Scheme (AWS) involves volunteers visiting to check on the dogs in their police kennels, vehicles and the dog unit's training areas.

The volunteers will check on them every month to six weeks, and have said that, so far, they have not come across any problems with the "well cared for" animals.

Sgt Jon Harwood, from Wiltshire Police's dog unit, said he "welcomed" the scheme, adding: "It's a nice opportunity for us to show off what we can do".

He explained that the scheme will benefit the force and is an "opportunity to learn from other areas".

The Animal Welfare Scheme was set up as a result of a review of dog training after the death of Acer, a police dog, in 1997.

After being successfully piloted by Lancashire Police, the scheme is now being rolled out in Wiltshire.

Sgt Harwood said that at the moment the main concern would be the environment day-to-day, like hot weather and dangerous circumstances.

"Ultimately we are in charge of that dog," he said.

"We don't deploy them if it's not safe."

One thing the force is now considering is a shaded area for the specialist cars that carry the dogs, so that they are not so reliant on inefficient air conditioning.

Lesley Peters and Jo Piddock have been chosen as volunteers for the scheme in Wiltshire because of their experience with dogs.

Ms Peters has been training dogs since she was a teenager and has worked with police and security, while Ms Piddock does agility and scent work with the animals.

The dog training and work is reward-based - and when they have done a job, they get their ball.

Dog handlers take their canine partners home with them, where they have special kennels and runs set up.

"You can tell by the way the dog is behaving if it's actually happy in the work it's doing," said Ms Piddock.

"Everything is great. The dogs are working well, they're well cared for, they're transported well."

The pair said they do not have any concerns about Wiltshire Police dogs currently and said there is "positive handling".

"There is no forcing the dog to do it - it does it because it wants to or through play," explained Ms Peters.

"As long as the dog is happy, they will work for you."

The scheme has been implemented by the Police and Crime Commissioner and the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) with support from the Dogs Trust

Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.