As the saying goes, life begins at retirement.

It could not be truer for these dogs who have just retired from the Police K-9 Unit.

Their lives have definitely only just begun and they are looking forward to having years of endless frolicking and fun. 

The best thing is - these dogs are looking for warm-hearted families to share their joyous moments with.

Will you give them a chance to do so?

All Police dogs were purchased from reputable overseas breeders between 18 to 24 months old and they usually serve the Police K-9 unit for five to six years before retirement.

They are generally German Shepherds, Belgian Shepherds (Malinois), Labrador Retrievers and Springer Spaniels.

Para-Vet, Ms Leong Pui Ying informs Home Team News that about 40 dogs retire annually and the Police K-9 unit will hold up to three adoption programmes per year to help them find a home.

Before a retired dog can be put up for adoption, a series of checks have to be conducted to assess whether it is suitable to be a house pet.

 “Our trainers will assess their temperament to ensure that they are not aggressive towards others,” Ms Leong elaborates.

“We will also send our dogs over to the vet to assess their medical health to ensure that they have no major illness.”

The Police K-9 Unit also maintains email correspondence with the adopters.

“We will check with them whether the dogs have any behavioural problems and we will advise them what to do accordingly,” she adds.

These dogs have put in many years of dedicated service and hard work for the Home Team, hence the Police K-9 Unit hopes to find families who can provide them with a tender, loving and caring home.

For the adoption of a retired Police dog, the applicant must meet the following criteria:

a) The applicant must be at least 18 years old; and

b) The breeds available are not HDB-approval. For the adoption of dog breeds to be kept at non-HDB residential premises, the applicant must not have three dogs or more kept at the same address (with the exception of dogs belonging to Part I or Part II of the potentially dangerous dogs listed in the Second Schedule under the Dog Licensing and Control Rules; only one dog from Part I or Part II of the Second Schedule is permitted to be kept in a premise).

The applicant must be able to comply with the following conditions:

a) The dog shall not be used for working purposes and shall only be kept as a personal house pet;

b) The dog shall not be used for breeding;

c) The applicant agrees to provide the dog with adequate healthcare, food and proper shelter;

d) The applicant shall take necessary measures to prevent the dog from causing injury to a person or an animal;

e) The applicant must obtain a dog licence from the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA); and

f) The applicant must comply with the AVA’s rules and regulations upon the successful adoption of the dog.