West Mercia Police has been awarded an official accreditation from the Dogs Trust for the seventh year in a row, confirming that dogs serving Telford and Shropshire are treated with high standards of care as of 2 March 2026.
The award is part of an animal welfare scheme managed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. Under the leadership of Commissioner John Campion, independent volunteers perform unannounced visits to training facilities to check on the animals and provide public oversight.
Maintaining this status allows the force to continue recruiting and training rescue dogs from the charity for police work. These animals play a vital role in local community safety by helping officers track suspects and find missing people.
Chief Inspector Andy Wortley, who leads the dog unit, oversees the management and welfare of the dogs to ensure they are well supported. The force training centre and kennels at Hindlip Hall focus on the housing and transport needs of every dog in the unit.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
