Two serving police dogs in Wiltshire, in southwest England, have been put to sleep after testing positive for Brucella canis, a bacterial infection that passes between dogs and, rarely, to the people who handle them.
The force picked up the infections during routine testing in September. After specialist veterinary advice, Wiltshire Police euthanised both dogs to remove any further risk of transmission to other dogs, the public, and the officers who work closely with them. Every other dog in the unit was isolated and tested, and all came back negative.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council says the cases are linked to a police dog imported from Europe and calls them an isolated incident. Until national guidance is settled, chief constables have interim advice on testing, quarantine, and imported dogs. Around 2,500 dogs work across UK police forces. Chief Inspector Ben Huggins said the loss had been devastating for the handlers and the unit. Vet Times has the full report.
What this means for your dog
Brucella canis is rare in the United States, and most owners will never run into it. The risk sits with dogs imported from countries where the bacteria circulate, which is why British vets have pushed for screening rescue imports. It spreads mainly through reproductive fluids and urine, not by passing another dog on the sidewalk. There is no vaccine, treatment is a long course of antibiotics that does not always clear it, and an infected dog can look healthy for months.
If you adopted a dog from abroad, ask your vet whether a Brucella test makes sense before you breed, foster, or add another dog to the house.