New police dog guidance and APP launched
New police dog guidance has been issued by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) that provides nationally agreed minimum standards for all police forces.
The Police Dog Standard will sit alongside the College of Policing’s new Authorised Professional Practice (APP) that was also published on Monday (April 29).
NPCC lead for police dogs, Assistant Commissioner Pippa Mills, said the standards “will bring the specialism in line with other similar areas in policing”.
This new guidance sets out how dog units should carry out their day-to-day functions, including training, welfare, deployment, staffing, health and safety, procurement and retirement, and record keeping.
It sets out the police’s use of police dogs in a wider context to general policing activity.
The new APP from the College of Policing supports the introduction of new professional role profiles for police dog handlers and trainers, and provides direction to relevant operational guidance and legislation.
It will form the basis for the development of a new College of Policing curriculum for police dog handlers and trainers for specialist dog capability
The NPCC said its new guidance has been informed by the latest research across the care and use of service animals, as well as the feedback received after police chiefs launched a public consultation in November 2023.
Ms Mills said: “I’m really proud to have been the NPCC lead for police dogs since 2020 and to have recently launched the first Police Dog Authorised Professional Practice (APP) in partnership with the College of Policing.
“The new NPCC Police Dog Standard sits alongside the APP, streamlining the previous guidance and mandating minimum standards. Bringing the recognition of the speciality that is our police dog capability, these standards bring the specialism in line with other similar areas in policing.
“I’m pleased the standards rightly place a significant emphasis on the welfare and care of police dogs, highlighting the necessity to recognise their individual needs as sentient beings. They dedicate a lifetime of service, working alongside police officers and staff to keeping our communities safe.
“These standards will be subject to regular review through the National Police Dog Policy Sub-Group, ensuring policy, training, accreditation and emerging threats are incorporated and remain current.
The new guidance incorporates important legislation such as the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act (2019), known as ‘Finn’s Law’, introduced to protect service animals, including police dogs and horses.