Police dogs deserve a pension: Campaign launched

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This week, we launched a campaign calling on the Government to introduce mandatory financial assistance for police dogs once they retire.

We want to see pensions for retired police dogs to ensure owners don’t have to face heft vet bills alone.

Since we launched in August 2020, we’ve provided grants totalling more than £380,000 for life-saving surgeries, vital medication, and regular therapy to ensure these canine heroes live long, happy and healthy retirements. 

Our Chairman, Kieran Stanbridge, said: “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 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, on average, retire every year.

While we will continue to dogs across the UK, we want to see policy change to secure the futures of these dogs and guarantee they can access the best in veterinary treatment, therapy and medication.

We’ve launched a petition and we’re urging the public to get behind this campaign, which would see the Government ring-fencing budget to ensure a basic level of support to the retired dogs’ new owners to ensure they are not left with the significant financial pressures. 

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