CUMBRIA Police have agreed a new protocol with the Guide Dogs charity which deals with how attacks on guide dogs and their owners are investigated.

Senior officers have signed a new service level agreement (SLA) after working closely with the charity to ensure that the correct processes are in place and a consistent approach is undertaken across the county.

The SLA follows a legislation introduced in May 2014 which offers greater protection to assistance dogs and their owners. It is now an offence to be in charge of a dog that attacks an assistance dog, which is defined as any dog specially trained to assist a blind, deaf or disabled person.

Cumbria Police say an attack on a guide dog has implications for both the dog itself and the owner. Time without a guide dog due to injuries sustained limits the freedom of its owner who relies on working in partnership with their dog to live their life.

As part of the SLA, guidance will be issued to all officers.

Temporary assistant chief constable Steve Johnson said: “An attack on a guide dog can have long lasting effects on both the dog itself and its owner. The constabulary is committed to supporting victims of crime, especially those who are vulnerable.

“The new SLA underlines our commitment to thoroughly investigate offences against guide dogs and ensure we are following the best practice when investigating crimes against assistance dogs.

“While there have been no reported attacks on guide dogs in Cumbria, we are not complacent and would encourage those who may have had their guide or assistance dog attacked to contact police so we can conduct a thorough and professional investigation.“

Mark Burnett, guide dogs mobility team manager for the North East and Cumbria, said: "Guide dog owners are less able to protect themselves. A sighted person will see potential danger and take evasive action, but a blind person is unable to do this.

“Guide dogs are specifically trained to ignore other dogs and to walk in straight predefined paths. They will continue on their path towards a potential aggressor dog with no perception of the risk involved.

"Apart from the devastating effect of an attack on our dogs and their owners there can also be a significant financial impact on our charity, through veterinary bills and retraining. In the most serious cases the dog may be permanently withdrawn from service at a potential high cost to our charity.

“It is very reassuring for our guide dog owners to know that Cumbria Constabulary are taking dog attacks very seriously by adopting the SLA.”

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