Police dogs are to receive a £1,500 pension (Picture: Getty)

Police dogs will be rewarded with a £1,500 pension pot to help them when they put their paws up in retirement.

The money will cover costs such as vet bills, worming, vaccinations and kennel fees.

The scheme run by Nottinghamshire Police will be funded by the taxpayer and begin next month.

The plans, which were announced on Monday, have met with criticism by some campaigners who say the money, which will total around £39,000 for the force’s 26 police dogs, is a rough deal for taxpayers.


However, police and crime commissioner Paddy Tipping defended the scheme, saying it had been developed in recognition of the dogs’ hard work and to aid their handlers.



Around six police dogs retire every year, he said, and generally the handler who has worked with them takes them home to live out the rest of their lives, footing the cost of food and medical bills in the process.

Responding to some of the negative comments, Mr Tipping said: ‘I don’t know what the criticism is. I guess the criticism is, “well hang on a minute, we should spend the money elsewhere”. Well, you’ve got to make judgments about priorities.’

The ‘ pensions will not automatically be handed over to their handlers on the dog’s retirement, he said, but would only be pooled out in the event that they incurred any vet bills and the police officer could claim the cash back.

He added: ‘We give pensions to police officers, we look after the police officers when they retire; the dogs have worked hard all their lives, worked hard for the police. We should make some provision for them as well.

‘Let’s be clear about it, if the officers didn’t look after the dogs when they retire from the force they would be put down.

‘The police officers have become very fond of the dogs, they keep the dogs, and I don’t think it’s fair that they have to pay all the bills.’