Greater Manchester Police has become the first organisation to win a national RSPCA award for an initiative that improves animal welfare.
The Force has won the first RSPCA Public Sector Bodies Innovator Award after changing the way that they deal with the owners of dogs that are seized because they are of a banned breed.
The changes were adopted by GMP’s Dog Legislation Office (DLO), and mean that dogs that are seized spend less time in kennels and are reunited with their owners more quickly – within six weeks on average, almost a quarter of the usual four months across the country.
The success of the unit lies in the communication between officers and dog owners before going to court and the assistance of other agencies such as the Dogs Trust, DEFRA and GMP’s legal services.
Mike Worrall, GMP’s DLO enquiry officer explains: “Owners of dogs that have been seized need to prove that they have fulfilled a set of obligations before their dog can come home.
“We sit down with each owner before their hearing, help them fill in the forms, explain everything that they need to do and prepare them for the next few weeks on their journey to bringing their dog home.
“The less time a dog spends away from its family the easier and safer it will be to integrate the dog back into the home environment.”
Officers work closely with dog owners to ensure that they know the criteria that need to be met. As well as improving the dogs’ welfare this has also seen savings for the Force. Around three months’ worth of kennel fees is saved for every dog that is seized.
Lenny Rolles, senior parliamentary advisor for local government at the RSPCA, said: “Opening up the Innovator Awards to the emergency services was a chance to recognise some of the fantastic work to improve animal welfare by dedicated professionals within these organisations.
“I hope that the Innovator Awards they have received help them to gain further recognition for their work and encourage other organisations to emulate their success.”
