Dogs sign on with police

TWO new dogs – Ola and Kaiser – have completed their training and are now ready for duty with Cheshire Police.
More dogs are needed to assist in police operations, and officers are appealing for Warrington people to donate suitable dogs for training.
The canine pair were watched by their previous owners as they took part in a passing out ceremony. Members of the public were invited to watch a demonstration by the dog handlers.
PC Daniel Lomas, who is new to the police dog handling team, had the challenge of training Ola. PC John Reid, who looks after Kaiser, has 20 years experience as a police dog handler.
Police dog handlers invest a lot of time in training their dogs and working with the dog’s personality for a closer bond so that they can use them on police operations. Once licensed and in the care of Cheshire Police, the officers take their own police dogs home, making sure to integrate them into their family unit.
PC Reid acquired Kaiser, a donated dog, after retiring his last dog.
Kaiser had to go through the 11 weeks of training before becoming a police dog. He will be used for operations ranging from tracking, searching for evidence and public order.
PC Reid said: “He was a pleasure to train, a challenge at times as he didn’t take to training exercises quickly but he made real progress in the last few weeks. “
Kaiser was referred to the police from germanshepherdrescue.co.uk after his owner Linda Duff and her husband, could no longer look after him. Their change in jobs meant longer working hours and they felt it was unfair to leave Kaiser alone.
Linda said: “I had a mixture of emotions, as I watched Kaiser in his passing out ceremony, but I am very proud watching him in action. I feel that I made the right choice in donating him to the police.”
Anyone who would like to donate a dog to the police should ring Mike Jones on 01606 362681. Information is also available on www.cheshire.police.uk
Pictured: PC Reid with Kaiser