Police Dog Welfare Visitors are appointed by the the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and support him to hold the Chief Constable to account. The scheme operates jointly with the North Wales PCC.
The joint Police Dog Welfare Scheme in Cheshire and North Wales was set up to check on the welfare of police dogs.
Police Dog Welfare Visitors check on the welfare of all police dogs, particularly in relation to the RSPCA’s ‘Five Freedoms’ attending kennels and training facilities.
The RSPCA believes that anyone responsible for looking after animals should try to give them the five freedoms. The five freedoms are considered aspirational, as they cannot always be achieved and maintained at all times. For example, an animal may need to feel hungry before it will eat. However, animal keepers should always aim to provide the five freedoms to their animals as far as possible.
The five freedoms are:
More than 21 years ago, the death of police dog ‘Acer’ whilst training in Essex, as well as the subsequent prosecution of police officers involved, resulted in an understandable loss of public confidence in relation to police dog training methods.
The Police Dog Welfare Scheme aims to maintain standards and ensure that Cheshire Constabulary’s training procedures are ethical, humane, transparent and accountable. Police Dog Welfare Visitors observe, comment and report on the conditions in which the Constabulary’s dogs are housed, trained and transported.
We currently have a number of experienced and dedicated volunteers who work hard to ensure standards are high and that members of the public are well-serviced.
If you are interested in becoming a Police Dog Welfare Visitor, please leave us your details here and we will contact you when we have any vacancies.
Alternatively, for an informal chat contact [email protected]