Animal Welfare Independent Visitors Scheme is a vital part of the work of the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner (OPCC), in ensuring the police service is using service animals in a humane way.

The Animal Welfare Independent Visitors Scheme is a project that allows for independent members of the public to visit police dog training centres, accommodation and police stations to observe, comment and report on the conditions under which police dogs are housed, trained and transported. It will cover anyone who interacts with police dogs, such as the trainers, handlers and kennel staff. 

Led by the national charity Dogs Trust, the PCC and Chief Constable have contributed towards a new booklet detailing how the scheme will work.

In addition to the scheme, the county’s police horses and dogs will be given their own ID cards and collar numbers in line with the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act 2019 – also known as Finn’s Law after Hertfordshire police dog, PD Finn, who was seriously injured in the line of duty. It defines service animals as ‘sentient beings’ rather than ‘assets’, making it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to a service animal.