How to Adopt a Police Dog

Adopting a pet is less stressful when you know what to expect.

Many retired police dogs need a loving home where they will be properly cared for. These dogs have dedicated their lives to serve on the police force to fight crime and protect citizens. Eventually, the dog's career will come to an end, and these animals need a quiet relaxing place to live out the rest of their lives. The training police dogs go through makes them unique and not suited for just any home. That's why all applicants must meet certain requirements before even being considered for approval.

Instructions

1. Contact the local police station in your area to find out if they have police dogs for adoption. If not, they should be able to tell you where the closest facility is located that does.

2. To be approved to adopt a police dog, you must meet certain requirements. There can be no one under the age of eight living in the home and you cannot have a cat. You must have a fenced-in area with adequate space and the fence must be at least six feet tall. Having experience working with special needs dogs may be required.

3. You'll need to give your permission for your veterinarian to release records containing information about previous pets that you've cared for or that you have in your care now. This will be used to determine how responsible you are when it comes to caring for your pets. The adoption agency may also talk to neighbors to help determine if you have cared for pets responsibly in the past.

4. You must agree to an inspection of the property to ensure the fencing and housing facilities are adequate to offer the proper care for the police dog. If the inspector finds anything that will not pass, he will point this out and give you time to correct the problem. He will then return for re-inspection to make sure it has been taken care of.

5. When you are approved to adopt a police dog, you will be contacted to fill out the remaining paperwork and finalize the adoption procedure.

Tips & Warnings

• Having experience as a dog handler or trainer in the past will increase the odds of being approved to adopt a police dog.

• If the adopted police dog attacks or bites someone, you will be held responsible. Police dogs are trained to be aggressive and they need special care. If you're unable to provide the proper amount of time and energy to care for this type of dog, it would be unwise to adopt one.

References

• K9 Global Training Academy Working Dogs: Adopt Retired Police Dogs