Did you know that when a police dog retires, they don’t get a pension?

It’s one of the biggest surprises to most people when they first hear about our charity.

While they are working, Cumbria Constabulary takes brilliant care of our police dogs. However, once police dogs stop working, they are then classed as a family pet if adopted out to someone, meaning they can’t access ongoing funding.

Many members of the police and wider community donate to help give these dogs the retirement they deserve, and to help out adopters with any unexpected bills.

In many cases, retired police dogs stay with their existing handler, but sometimes this isn’t possible if the handler has more dogs or needs to bring new working dogs on board. At this point, they may go to a family member or be put up for adoption. But there’s a big hurdle that almost every owner faces: getting pet insurance for all conditions is nearly impossible.

Why Pet Insurance Says "No"

Our police dogs lead very active, tough lives. They may find themselves working in kinds of weather and situations to keep us safe.

Because they work so hard, some dogs may pick up injuries along the way or develop things like arthritis earlier than normal pets. Or they may sustain an injury when working. When you try to take out pet insurance for a retired police dog, insurance companies can often refuse to insure working dogs for any injuries or conditions they have sustained whilst working.

Any old injuries or joint issues may be labelled as "pre-existing conditions," meaning the insurance company can’t cover them. In some cases, companies may refuse to insure an ex-police dog at all just because of the job they did.

As any dog lover knows, vet care is expensive. When an older dog needs pain medication, scans, or surgery, the bills can quickly run into hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

We never want a handler or adopter to face the heartbreak of worrying about how to pay for vet care for a dog that spent its life protecting our community. We also don’t want to put people off the idea of adopting an ex-police dog, as these dogs really deserve the best retirement homes after all the work they’ve out in.

That’s Why We Stepped In

The Cumbria Police Dog Benevolent Fund was set up by a dedicated group of volunteers - both from within the police and dog lovers from our local community.

Our mission is simple: make sure retired Cumbria police dogs can get the medical and vet care they need.

Thanks to kind donations and fundraising, we step in to help owners cover:

• Ongoing medication (like pain relief for stiff joints)
• Vet bills, x-rays, and emergency treatment
• Helpful therapies like hydrotherapy to keep them comfortable

These amazing dogs give their best years to keeping Cumbria safe. The very least they deserve is a comfy sofa, plenty of belly rubs, and a happy, pain-free retirement.

How You Can Help

We are run entirely by volunteers, which means every single penny raised goes directly towards helping our four-legged pensioners.

You can help us look after them by:

• Fundraising on our behalf by doing a sponsored walk or run!
• Buying something from our online shop
• Sponsoring our fundraisers in events like the Keswick to Barrow walk
• Or simply sharing our posts to help spread the word!

👉 Click here to visit our website and find out how you can support our retired dogs