Nottinghamshire Police force is to start providing ‘pensions’ worth up to £1,500 each for its retired police dogs.

The scheme will cover the medical bills of the dogs up to a total of £500 per annum for the first three years after they leave the force.

Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping said it was essential to create a scheme to look after those dogs which have been “worked hard while tackling crime”.

“These dogs give willing and sterling service over the years in protecting the public so I am delighted to approve a scheme that will ensure continuing medical help once their work is done,” he said.

Punter Southall’s senior consultant Chris Parlour questioned the decision particularly in “these times of austerity”.

“Is it really wise to be introducing such a scheme?” Parlour said.

"The real beneficiaries are of course the handlers or other families who take in the retired dogs, who would otherwise pick up the tab for their pet’s vets bills. Nottinghamshire Police are essentially going to be subsidising pet owners or a small sub-section of them who choose to take in retired police dogs rather than other animals.”

Parlour said “millions of hard working humans still receive no pension provision at all from their employers” even though the situation is slowly being addressed through the auto-enrolment process.

“This will not be completed until 2017 however. Even then, the low paid will be exempt meaning that retired Nottinghamshire police dogs will be better provided for by their employers than many in our society.”

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