New boots for dogs in blue
Pari the police dog goes on the same jobs as the armed offenders squad and now has shoes to match.
The 51⁄2-year-old german shepherd is New Plymouth’s only armed offenders squad dog and has been given ‘‘Ruffwear’’ shoes to protect his feet while he is working.
Pari’s handler, Cam Davies, said that at the moment the dogs’ booties, which have Vibram soles like police officers’ boots, were only worn when the canines were tracking in places where there might be hazards on the ground. ‘‘They’re purely for safety,’’ Davies said. ‘‘I’m generalising, but the properties we go through are pretty scody.
‘‘There’s drug paraphernalia, sharps, needles, wire.’’ Davies said he had heard of incidents in the past where police dogs couldn’t be deployed because there was smashed glass on the ground. ‘‘Their paws would get cut to bits,’’ Davies said. Davies said the dogs were valuable members of the police force so their safety was paramount.
‘‘A shepherd’s senses are 40 times more sensitive than ours,’’ Davies said. ‘‘They’re worth two cops in a car.’’
Pari had a close call recently when he was bitten by an offender. ‘‘He got bitten on the head,’’ Davies said.
‘‘He’s tough. He did a good job, a sensational job.’’
But the incident reminded Davies of the importance of keeping Pari safe. ‘‘It’s hard, you’re sending your mate in.’’
It’s only been in the past decade that Pari and his canine colleagues have started wearing protective gear – including their stab-proof vests. ‘‘It’s similar to what we use.’’
Davies said that at the moment New Plymouth had only two pairs of boots but said soon they’d be rolled out nationally and most likely required to be worn fulltime like the vests.