Overview

• Since its founding in August 2020 the Thin Blue Paw Foundation has awarded over £380,000 in grants to more than 150 retired police dogs with service-related health issues.
• Conditions such as arthritis can drive annual veterinary bills up to £2,400 and pre-existing complaints are barred from pet insurance coverage.
• Caring for former police dogs costs an estimated £250 more per month than typical pets, pushing some owners toward the heartbreaking decision of euthanasia when bills become unaffordable.
• The charity covered a £4,300 emergency surgery for Neo, a retired Humberside Police dog, whose life-threatening gastric torsion highlighted the critical need for financial support.
• There are about 1,700 serving police dogs in the UK and roughly 100 retire each year, leaving handlers and adopters to shoulder rising health-care costs without state aid.