Police call Lakes College staff ‘lifesavers’ for helping train dogs

New police recruits – dogs Jovi, Dot and Lola – have been undergoing vital training at Lakes College.

Due to lockdown restrictions, the venues where the dogs usually train have been unavailable. So when Cumbria Police contacted the college to ask if they could use the site, there was no hesitation, said estates manager Andrew Sisson.

Now, Sergeant Aidan Bew, of the Cumbria Police Dog Section, has praised the college and its staff saying they’ve been ‘lifesavers.’

“We’ve been using this location to perform essential training with our three new dogs as well as follow-up training with our other specialist roles,” said Sgt Bew.

“It’s proved to be an ideal setting to put the dogs through their paces and extremely valuable with the current restrictions.”

It is essential for police dogs to train in a variety of different environments to prepare them for the conditions they will be placed in during live jobs.

“Because of the lockdown restrictions and safeguards necessary at present, we have lost the ability to use some of our existing venues,” added Sgt Bew.

“So to be able to train at Lakes College has been a lifesaver. The staff at the college have been extremely accommodating and we thank them for all the assistance they have been able to provide.”

Mr Sisson said the college prides itself in being part of the community and helping others when the need arises.

“Police – and their dogs – play a vital role in keeping us all safe and it’s great that we’re able to support them, especially through these challenging times,” he added.