Cumbria Constabulary has just welcomed its newest crime-fighting pups to the force.
Two fox red Labradors, which are almost 9 weeks old, have just arrived from Norfolk to start their training as the force’s first forensic evidence and victim recovery dogs.
Harley and Sansa will be trained to recover bodies and find potential evidence from crime scenes such as blood, which will save valuable time during investigations.
For the next twelve months, the new recruits will work alongside their handlers to form a bond, socialise with a diverse range of people and gain experience in a variety of environments and locations.
PC Glen Myerscough and PC Barrie Cox have each received one of the new pups and have already started their training.
Sergeant Mark Yielder, from the Cumbria Constabulary Dog Unit, said: “Over the next 12 months the dogs will be familiarised with as many new people, places and experiences as possible, so that they are able to deal with any situation they are faced with when they start work.
“This environmental training will also involve exposing them to loud noises by playing recordings of thunder, lightning and fireworks so that they get used to the unexpected. Then around the time they turn one, they will begin their specialised training.
“Once fully trained, the dogs will be able to find vital evidence such as drops of bloods in a fraction of the time it would take officers to do so, cutting down the number of resources needed to search. They will be a huge asset to the skillset of the force dog unit.”
Members of the public will be able to follow the progress of the pups on this Twitter site, which will provide updates on the puppy’s progression, information on the Dogs Unit, handlers, training and the incidents they attend.