Independent Animal Welfare Volunteers provide scrutiny of the care and treatment of police dogs.
They make sure procedures are ethical, humane and transparent in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The scheme is to enable Independent Animal Welfare Volunteers to observe, comment and report on the conditions, in which police dogs are housed, trained and transported.
It aims to secure greater understanding of and confidence in the handling and care of dogs in the police service.
The welfare scheme covers everyone, who interacts with the dog. That includes trainers and handlers. It covers everywhere police dogs go including dog units, kennels and police vehicles.
Independent Animal Welfare Volunteers inspect dogs’ training, housing and transport to ensure they meet animal welfare standards.
The Five Welfare Standards are documented in legislation for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
For England and Wales, guidelines are based on Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. They include the following areas of need:
- A suitable environment;
- Suitable diet;
- The ability to exhibit normal behaviour patterns;
- To be housed with- or apart from – other animals;
- To be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
Independent Animal Welfare Volunteers carry out visits in pairs. They are always accompanied by a dog handler or a member of staff from the Force’s Dog Support Unit.
Further Information
The following documents provide further details about the scheme: