DOG DAYS

One of the many roles carried out by your Police Authority is to check
that the police dogs are looked after well, that their training is appropriate and the conditions in which they are kept are good both when at work and at home with their handlers.

Margaret Ollerenshaw, Chairman of the Authority said, “We have heard sad stories recently about how police dogs have been kept and I wanted to take the opportunity to reassure people in Cheshire that the police dogs here are an essential part of the police family. The dogs and their handlers provide an excellent service in supporting policing. They help to locate vulnerable and missing people and to tackle drug, explosives, firearms and other serious crimes. They can also be useful in helping to manage large crowds.”

Four Members of the Authority, along with vets, regularly undertake checks of police dog welfare. A recent report of the 37 police dogs in service across various disciplines in Cheshire revealed that they were all in good health and well looked after. The dogs are provided with air-conditioned vehicles which carry on working when the vehicle is stationery and they even have heated dog bowls to stop their water freezing in the winter.