Berlin - (AP) - Police dogs in the western city of Duesseldorf will no longer get their feet dirty when on patrol - the entire dog unit will soon be equipped with blue plastic fiber shoes.
"All 20 of our police dogs - German and Belgian shepherds - are currently being trained to walk in these shoes," a police spokesman said.
The unusual footwear is a necessity due to the high rate of paw injuries on duty. Especially in the city's historical old town - famous for both its pubs and drunken revelers - the dogs often step into broken beer bottles.
"The street-cleaning doesn't remove all the glass pieces from between the streets' cobble stones," he said, adding that the dogs frequently get injured by little pieces sticking deep in their paws.
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Full Version: German police dogs to wear shoes
Awwww poor dogs getting glass in their paws, would make it kind of hard to chase down a criminal with glass in your paws! I,m glad their trying to do something to help out their four footed partners! 
QUOTE (Owlscrying @ Feb 25 2008, 06:45 PM) 
Berlin - (AP) - Police dogs in the western city of Duesseldorf will no longer get their feet dirty when on patrol - the entire dog unit will soon be equipped with blue plastic fiber shoes.
"All 20 of our police dogs - German and Belgian shepherds - are currently being trained to walk in these shoes," a police spokesman said.
The unusual footwear is a necessity due to the high rate of paw injuries on duty.
Especially in the city's historical old town - famous for both its pubs and drunken revelers - the dogs often step into broken beer bottles.
"The street-cleaning doesn't remove all the glass pieces from between the streets' cobble stones," he said, adding that the dogs frequently get injured by little pieces sticking deep in their paws.
go
"All 20 of our police dogs - German and Belgian shepherds - are currently being trained to walk in these shoes," a police spokesman said.
The unusual footwear is a necessity due to the high rate of paw injuries on duty.
Especially in the city's historical old town - famous for both its pubs and drunken revelers - the dogs often step into broken beer bottles."The street-cleaning doesn't remove all the glass pieces from between the streets' cobble stones," he said, adding that the dogs frequently get injured by little pieces sticking deep in their paws.
go
lol *sigh* 
'High rate!?'I don't know why I see this as funny, but I did!
aww poor doggies so glad they are finding a solution . but i know shepards and i can bet they wil have to be extra durable or they will be chewed by the end of the shift . hope theyre not too expensive to make 
i think its when they frog march they look more the part..
now the downside... who is the poor sucker thats going to spit-polish all those shoes?? some pimply little intern?
now the downside... who is the poor sucker thats going to spit-polish all those shoes?? some pimply little intern?
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