Calendar featuring canine law-enforces

Produced by a team from the Retired Lancashire Police Dogs Benevolent Fund, with the help of dog handlers, the 2014 calendar features fun photographs of every current working police dog in the region, who will in time need the help of the charity to have a happy, relaxing retirement.

The fund was set up eight years ago by Whalley woman Sheila Maw to assist with the cost of veterinary expenses, which range from severe illness and minor operations, to a recent share of the cost of a hip replacement in a dog that is about to retire. Police dogs are often retired ahead of schedule due to being injured in the course of their work, or even injured protecting their handler.

PC Leanne Mankowski says: “Most of the Lancashire police dogs retire to their handlers, who then have to take over the financial responsibility. In some cases dogs are retired at a young age due to illness or injuries sustained and then veterinary and drugs bills can be very heavy. All the dogs pictured in the calendar are serving police dogs within Lancashire Constabulary and range from working as general purpose police dogs to searching for explosives, drugs weapons and cash.”

The calendar is available to order by logging onto www.retiredpolicedogs.co.uk or from Sheila Maw on 01254 823136 and is priced at £7.00, plus £3.00 for postage and packing. The Benevolent Fund survives solely on donations, legacies and fund-raising events.