Police Dog Puppies Freeze To Death

[lucknow]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensl...f-1226012455832

Dr Adkins yesterday said in a statement she was "deeply saddened by the tragic deaths".

THE Queensland Police Service will be investigated by the RSPCA after a litter of dog squad puppies froze to death for want of a cheap heating box.

The Sunday Mail has learnt five newborn german shepherd puppies died in Brisbane's police academy kennels at Oxley after a bitterly cold night last winter.

Sources have revealed the squad was down one of its two kennel hands so could not maintain a 24-hour watch on the animals, as done for previous births, and no one was on duty the night the pups were born.

By the time the pups were discovered about 6am the next day, their body temperatures had plunged and they had suffered organ failure.

RSPCA chief inspector Mick Pecic said he would investigate whether there were any breaches of animal welfare laws, which carry a maximum $30,000 fine or a year's jail.

"Generally there should always be a warm environment provided and someone there on hand to make sure everything goes OK," Mr Pecic said.

Upset dog squad officers reached into their own pockets for electric blankets and placed feeding tubes down the throats of the pups but within days only one of six was alive.

It is understood Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson's partner Dr Glenda Adkins, honorary patron of the dog squad, and officers were furious over the deaths of the animals.

Dr Adkins yesterday said in a statement she was "deeply saddened by the tragic deaths".

"I am confident that the members of the puppy breeding program and the vet who were in attendance throughout, did everything they possibly could to try and save these puppies. Absolutely no blame should be apportioned to these people," she said.

Even after the deaths, the QPS is accused of ignoring several requests from officers for a $700 heated whelping box for kennels, where police have bred their own dogs since 2008. Vets said heating pads available for as little as $50 may also have saved the dogs, which are valued at $70,000 when fully trained.

An internal police review was launched as word spread of the death of the pups inside the Oxley kennels' concrete "puppy development wing".

The QPS sought to blame other factors when quizzed during the review and said the pups' mother, Freya, was inexperienced and had abandoned her offspring to starve, sources told The Sunday Mail.

But vet Paul Henry, called in to try to save the pups, confirmed they died after being exposed to the cold at the poorly heated police kennels.

"A cold snap came through. The staff were inadequately provided with facilities to keep them warm," said Mr Henry, who has 40 years' experience and is the consulting vet for the police service and air force.

"They bought some electric blankets with their own money. Despite that, we had a few puppy deaths."

He added: "When puppies go like this they go very lethargic, they get weaker and they don't suckle.

"So they were probably not eating, but that wasn't the primary thing the thing was they were just cold."

[Tilly]

Rest in Peace little puppies

[OSoSwift]

Poor little babies, shame on them for not having the basic neccessities for raising puppies.

[KitKat]

I remember this - but won't comment other than to say measures were quickly put in place to make sure such never happens again.

[Staranais]

Poor babies.

[BJean]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensl...f-1226012455832

Dr Adkins yesterday said in a statement she was "deeply saddened by the tragic deaths".

THE Queensland Police Service will be investigated by the RSPCA after a litter of dog squad puppies froze to death for want of a cheap heating box.

The Sunday Mail has learnt five newborn german shepherd puppies died in Brisbane's police academy kennels at Oxley after a bitterly cold night last winter.

Sources have revealed the squad was down one of its two kennel hands so could not maintain a 24-hour watch on the animals, as done for previous births, and no one was on duty the night the pups were born.

By the time the pups were discovered about 6am the next day, their body temperatures had plunged and they had suffered organ failure.

RSPCA chief inspector Mick Pecic said he would investigate whether there were any breaches of animal welfare laws, which carry a maximum $30,000 fine or a year's jail.

"Generally there should always be a warm environment provided and someone there on hand to make sure everything goes OK," Mr Pecic said.

Upset dog squad officers reached into their own pockets for electric blankets and placed feeding tubes down the throats of the pups but within days only one of six was alive.

It is understood Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson's partner Dr Glenda Adkins, honorary patron of the dog squad, and officers were furious over the deaths of the animals.

Dr Adkins yesterday said in a statement she was "deeply saddened by the tragic deaths".

"I am confident that the members of the puppy breeding program and the vet who were in attendance throughout, did everything they possibly could to try and save these puppies. Absolutely no blame should be apportioned to these people," she said.

Even after the deaths, the QPS is accused of ignoring several requests from officers for a $700 heated whelping box for kennels, where police have bred their own dogs since 2008. Vets said heating pads available for as little as $50 may also have saved the dogs, which are valued at $70,000 when fully trained.

An internal police review was launched as word spread of the death of the pups inside the Oxley kennels' concrete "puppy development wing".

The QPS sought to blame other factors when quizzed during the review and said the pups' mother, Freya, was inexperienced and had abandoned her offspring to starve, sources told The Sunday Mail.

But vet Paul Henry, called in to try to save the pups, confirmed they died after being exposed to the cold at the poorly heated police kennels.

"A cold snap came through. The staff were inadequately provided with facilities to keep them warm," said Mr Henry, who has 40 years' experience and is the consulting vet for the police service and air force.

"They bought some electric blankets with their own money. Despite that, we had a few puppy deaths."

He added: "When puppies go like this they go very lethargic, they get weaker and they don't suckle.

"So they were probably not eating, but that wasn't the primary thing the thing was they were just cold."

How cold is a cold snap in QLD?

unless it's a lot colder than I realise, the pups should have survived overnight with their dam present.

If you are going to keep the toughest, most capable pups, with the hardiest immune system you shouldn't have to depend on heated whelping boxes to keep the pups alive.

Edited February 27, 2011 by lilli

[persephone]

Sounds a bit odd....

our working dog bitches whelped outside even in Winter .. no artificial heating .. a whelping bitch generates a LOT of warmth!! We have never lost a newborn to chilling...

Poor little mites .

[Tilly]

They are saying the mother was inexperienced ...

[persephone]

They are saying the mother was inexperienced ...

aahh that makes sense now.

A lesson learnt the hard way, and paid for dearly.

[Tilly]

This was posted on Facebook by QPS

QPS Puppy Development Program story - The facts that weren't included....by Queensland Police Service on Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 12:38pm

Some of you may have read about the deaths of some puppies at the QPS Puppy Development Program last year. We thought you might like to see some of the facts surrounding this sad incident which weren't included in the story.

Experienced sworn and unsworn staff manage the program and care for the bitches and puppies.

The QPS dog breeding facility is very well equipped. The breeding kennels are specially designed, and are isolated from the general kennels, with reverse cycle air conditioning to ensure appropriate temperature control year round.

In five years of breeding puppies, this is the only incident where we have lost a number of puppies soon after birth. We have a very low puppy mortality rate compared with dog breeders generally. Our dogs are valuable assets to the community of Queensland, and we do everything possible to ensure they receive the best care and attention.

Last May, ‘Freda’ an inexperienced bitch in the QPS dog breeding program whelped six puppies (the ‘M” litter) several days before her due date. At the time, she was in a room which was equipped with a heater and lighting.

When a whelping is imminent, staff are rostered on 24-7 to provide care for the bitches and puppies, however as ‘Freda’ whelped early, no staff were rostered on overnight.

Veterinary assistance was sought, as the puppies were not drinking normally. They were found to have low body temperature, and despite the temperature being unseasonably warm (they were born on the hottest May day of the year, with a recorded day time temperature of over 27 degrees, and a night time temperature of about 15 degrees) and the room being heated, an additional floor heater was purchased by the staff member.

As it was a Sunday, he did this out of his own funds, and was reimbursed within days for his purchase. The QPS purchased waterproof electric blankets the next day.

Despite ongoing veterinary involvement and handfeeding, sadly, five of the puppies faded and died over the next four days.

Specialist veterinary advice was that the deaths were due to the inexperienced bitch not providing necessary food and warmth to five of her six puppies. She successfully reared the sixth puppy.

Requests for equipment are assessed by management, and if a valid requirement exists, the equipment is approved. We have no record of any formal requests from staff to purchase a heated whelping box prior to this sad event.

There was a comprehensive debrief following the incident, and additional equipment was purchased, including a heated whelping box, as this is still on order, due to a manufacturing delay, a whelping box with removable heating pads was also purchased.

There have been no puppy deaths from subsequent litters which have produced 20 healthy puppies. ‘Freda’ has not been re-bred.

The QPS has a good track record in producing healthy puppies which make excellent operational dogs, and the sad loss of these puppies will not impact on the breeding program’s ability to meet the operational needs of the QPS dog squads.

The RSPCA is aware of the incident, and we are always happy to work with them to ensure that we are providing the best possible care for our dogs. We welcome their input into all aspects of our management of our police dog program, and have asked them to expedite their investigation into this matter. It is worth noting that the QPS has the same legislative powers and responsibilities as the RSCPA in relation to animal welfare.

[Ons]

Sounds a bit odd....

our working dog bitches whelped outside even in Winter .. no artificial heating .. a whelping bitch generates a LOT of warmth!! We have never lost a newborn to chilling...

Poor little mites .

my friend who breeds coolies lives in a lot colder climate than QLD and hasn't lost pups in winter

the latest post said that the pups were early, that may be the real reason, premature pups who just couldn't survive no matter whether someone was on duty or heating boxes

RIP puppies

[Bullbreedlover]

RIP little babies

I am quite saddened by the fact that although the bitch whelped a few days early, there was no kennel staff there at all.

I will never ever leave any bitch for any length of time unattended up to a week before she is due to whelp.

Our whelping bitches are always monitored 7 days before their expected due date to the extent that there is always someone at home.

With a breeding programme as highly thought of as theirs is, more due care and attention should of been paid.

Prem puppies can survive too. It says that she whelped early. How early? 2 days, 3 days or more?

[lucknow]

RIP little babies

I am quite saddened by the fact that although the bitch whelped a few days early, there was no kennel staff there at all.

I will never ever leave any bitch for any length of time unattended up to a week before she is due to whelp.

Our whelping bitches are always monitored 7 days before their expected due date to the extent that there is always someone at home.

With a breeding programme as highly thought of as theirs is, more due care and attention should of been paid.

Prem puppies can survive too. It says that she whelped early. How early? 2 days, 3 days or more?

I can understand staffing problems, everyone has them from time to time but it seems to have had pretty tragic repurcussions this time.

It must be heartbreaking for the staff involved in the planning and implementation of the breeding program

[Bullbreedlover]

RIP little babies

I am quite saddened by the fact that although the bitch whelped a few days early, there was no kennel staff there at all.

I will never ever leave any bitch for any length of time unattended up to a week before she is due to whelp.

Our whelping bitches are always monitored 7 days before their expected due date to the extent that there is always someone at home.

With a breeding programme as highly thought of as theirs is, more due care and attention should of been paid.

Prem puppies can survive too. It says that she whelped early. How early? 2 days, 3 days or more?

I can understand staffing problems, everyone has them from time to time but it seems to have had pretty tragic repurcussions this time.

It must be heartbreaking for the staff involved in the planning and implementation of the breeding program

yes it would be heartbreaking.

To be honest I would of thought they would have a plan in place to monitor bitches that are due, well before their due date. With volunteers even. We all know that things can go horribly wrong.

A staffing problem can be a nightmare but what about having a list of other breeders that could of been available. heck if I wasnt so far away I would be available. I have done alot of volunteer work for the Police back home and would not hesitate to be available if they were short of staff.

These are highly valuable breeding stock.

[lucknow]

RIP little babies

I am quite saddened by the fact that although the bitch whelped a few days early, there was no kennel staff there at all.

I will never ever leave any bitch for any length of time unattended up to a week before she is due to whelp.

Our whelping bitches are always monitored 7 days before their expected due date to the extent that there is always someone at home.

With a breeding programme as highly thought of as theirs is, more due care and attention should of been paid.

Prem puppies can survive too. It says that she whelped early. How early? 2 days, 3 days or more?

I can understand staffing problems, everyone has them from time to time but it seems to have had pretty tragic repurcussions this time.

It must be heartbreaking for the staff involved in the planning and implementation of the breeding program

yes it would be heartbreaking.

To be honest I would of thought they would have a plan in place to monitor bitches that are due, well before their due date. With volunteers even. We all know that things can go horribly wrong.

A staffing problem can be a nightmare but what about having a list of other breeders that could of been available. heck if I wasnt so far away I would be available. I have done alot of volunteer work for the Police back home and would not hesitate to be available if they were short of staff.

These are highly valuable breeding stock.

Yes, I would have thought the same thing. I imagine, or would hope, that has been looked at now.

I know when I have been working at vet clinics that did not have round the clock care (and before emergency centres were as available as they are now) staff would volunteer or be roped in to sleep on site for anything we were not totally certain to be safe unsupervised. Not sure with current OH&S/workplace laws that it would have been allowed or possible though?

[Dogsrawesome]

Poor little puppies R.I.P

Atleast when they found them they tried everything they could to save them

and atleast one of them survived just a really sad story and a shame no-one was there the night it happened and you would think they would know sometimes dogs give birth early. But it might be hard to find people to work over night

[KitKat]

Just because there was someone on shift that night...doesn't mean they weren't called out for a job either.

[poochmad]

Poor little pups. At least that sort of thing won't happen again, as I'm sure they would have learnt from that.

[Rebanne]

I still think the poor bitch and pups were let down by the people that should have cared better for them.

[SeeGee]

:)