https://www.change.org/p/west-mercia-police-help-police-dog-ivy-stay-with-her-beloved-dog-handler

Link includes picture of dog and her policeman.

Frequently retiring police dog handlers keep the dogs they work with daily, due to the emotional bond between them. The police handlers family is the dogs family where it lives and plays.

If you see both people and dogs as living feeling creatures and not just as objects, please consider signing this petition. Thanks.

I have worked with dogs and I know how heartbroken they are when separated from their people.

Help save police dog Ivy

What are you saving the dog from exactly?

That dog cost tens of thousands of pounds to train and has a good 4 years of service left in him. The dog isn’t being mistreated, he just been put with another trainer/handler, who I’m sure it will bond with. Seems to be a ridiculous petition to me. It’s not a pet, it’s working dog.

Yes, this is really more about the dogs handler – who probably should just go and get another dog.
It would be nice if they could stay together but I’m not sure it’s realistic.

I’m with jon1973, there’s just no problem here at all.

Heart agrees with petition but head agrees with Jon1973.

That dog cost tens of thousands of pounds to train and has a good 4 years of service left in him. The dog isn’t being mistreated, he just been put with another trainer/handler, who I’m sure it will bond with. Seems to be a ridiculous petition to me. It’s not a pet, it’s working dog.

This is correct.

^ What jon1973 said.

Hello,

Just a brief update…

The petition is now nearing 30,000 supporters!

The press coverage has been fantastic, from ITV News to The Sun to Daily Mail to BBC News to New Zealand News to America (Cheri Lucas, Master Dog Trainer for Cesar Milan – TV’s Dog Whisperer – showed her support yesterday by circulating the petition in America!). Now, people all over the world are signing it, and it’s only day 5!

PS Dave has also offered to pay the £25,000 it costs to train a new dog, but unfortunately, so far this offer has been refused by West Mercia Police.

Thank you, to everyone here who has signed and shared the petition…

Best,

Jacob Windsor

Chief Supporter & Journalist (working with Team PD Ivy & PS Dave)

Market Drayton, UK

P.S. You can get updates on the story via my Facebook page – https://facebook.com/Jacob.windsor.104 or twitter @JacobWindsorUK.

Sorry but completely disagree with this. You are humanising a dog that would be just as happy with someone else as long as they are fed , played with and worked as meant to be.
All this petition is doing is making sure the handler is happy which in all fairness most people don’t care about and I would prefer him and his specialist dog handling skills to go and rescue a dog whose life he could transform!

PS Dave has also offered to pay the £25,000 it costs to train a new dog

I can’t understand what the problem is then. You would have thought that after 34 years of service West Mercia police might want to show a bit of gratitude.

Well this hasn’t gone well.

It’s a working asset, not a pet. When it’s time to call it a day it’ll end up with the handler who’s working with it.

Why not sign this instead 😉

https://www.change.org/p/give-britain-s-last-surviving-dambuster-hero-a-knighthood

I’ll sell him two dogs for £25k.

You would have thought that after 34 years of service West Mercia police might want to show a bit of gratitude.

Ha ha aye right a PS employer and gratitude, nope just a number!

It sounds like remarkable pettiness by West Mercia Police, he’s offering to pay in full for a replacement with twice the working life.

When training Police dogs not all of them will turn out to be suitable for use. Will the officer be willing to invest until they find a comparable replacement.

This dog clearly is a capable trained asset which should have another 4 years of working life which will then be retired either with his new handler who will have bonded with him or with another suitable home.

is this the one where the officer wants to keep the dog when they retire? iirc the chief constable has been made aware and has offered to speak to the officer, recognising the bond between the officer and their dogs. not sure why a petition was needed. just speak to the gov’nor

interesting first post from the OP – how many forums have you joined to spread the word?

Seems to be a ridiculous petition to me. It’s not a pet, it’s working dog.

+1

“I can’t understand what the problem is then. You would have thought that after 34 years of service West Mercia police might want to show a bit of gratitude.”

Because if you have the rule that officers can buy a random police dog for 25k then there needs to be a process and admin in place. Personally I don’t want the Police applying budget and time to negotiating dog transfers when the existing process is completely effective.

In the same way, I can’t walk into a local office, slam the price of a photo copier on the table and walk out with their theirs, it’s just not practical.

Why can’t he get a police car when he retires as well.

Like if you agree!

Is there any option for him to extend his service another 4 years to retire with the dog?

I’m from a family full of Police, a dog lover, have known dog handlers etc etc. Yes heart does say it would be nice to keep the pooch, but as mentioned above it is a member of staff, a tool that still has years of use left. If it can’t bond with new handlers then fine, let him have it, or use it for another 4 years then let the chap have the dog upon its retirement

Wow, a lot of knowledgeable people about police dogs on here. Seem to know more than a professional that has handled dogs for 34 years.
Or maybe they just think they do.

Is there any option for him to extend his service another 4 years to retire with the dog?

My exact thoughts.

I know a few Dog Handlers and the bond between Officer and Dog is massive, they really are a partner to them, but did this guy not think it through when he took Ivy on ?

End of the day, she is Police property and, like has been said, a huge asset to the force which costs a lot to train up and unfortunately not his pet.

When I left my last job, they didn’t let me keep the van.

I’ll sell him two dogs for £25k

For that price I’ll throw in a caravan too.

Seem to know more than a professional that has handled dogs for 34 years.
Or maybe they just think they do

Is this the one who has slanted his opinion for what he wants? Are other opinions valid? What of somebody has 34 1/4 years experience?

I’m just surprised people on here have the knowledge to say what’s right for a police dog. I couldn’t, as I know nothing about them.

Help save police dog
Is a pretty shit title for what’s going on though!

cranberry – Member
Why can’t he get a police car when he retires as well.

Like if you agree!

You think you’re joking there, but alas…

http://www.heraldscotland.com/News/14629241.Senior_police_officer_blocked_from_buying_force_Audi/?commentSort=score

(appreciate they’ve said no to him, but evidently that’s a first)

I got to go home with my boss when she left her last job.

My neighbour took on an ex-police dog, when it was retired, and keeps him as a pet. Seems happy enough with his new family.

Because if you have the rule that officers can buy a random police dog for 25k then there needs to be a process and admin in place.

I suspect you’re right, the real issue here is almost certainly petty bureaucracy…..”the computer says no”.

There’s a comment above which mentions humanising the dog, I don’t know why the poster thinks that but there is some evidence that petty bureaucracy has dehumanised a simple solution.

The dog has 4 years of working life left, the handler as offered to cover the cost of a replacement which will have 8 years of working life, it makes clear economic sense to accept his offer.

The claim that West Mercia might spend £25k on the wrong dog is nonsense imo, it would be apparent early in the process if the dog was unsuitable – £25k to train a dog is the total cost including the selection process.

Equally making a comparison with walking into a random office and offering to buy their photocopier is ridiculous nonsense.

It’s not just the cost though. The time to train a police dog is fairly significant too. So offering to pay only covers part of the problem.