The Home Office has been sending staff on ‘Swedish dog massage’ courses, it was revealed today.
Nearly £1,000 was spent on the unusual lessons last September to ensure that sniffer dogs are ‘well looked after’.
There have also been other costs for ‘dog enrichment’, such as £574.70 on puzzles and sand for play pits in April.
Transparency logs show that last May there was a £706.81 spend on items including a paddling pool and sandpit lids.
The details emerged after ministers ordered Whitehall departments to crack down on spending on government credit cards.
However, the Home Office has robustly defended the outlay on dogs, accusing critics of ‘barking up the wrong tree’.
Detector dogs are used to find drugs and other contraband items at the UK border (file picture)
Detector dogs are used to find drugs and other contraband items at the UK border.
There are thought to be around 64 currently in service across the UK’s major ports and airports.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, the dog massage courses are held in Worcestershire, Herefordshire or online and cost between £138 and £192 per person. Some £966 went on the training in September.
Participants are taught how to give dogs ‘a full body 40-minute Swedish massage’ to ‘help loosen stiff, sore, tight muscles’, improving ‘comfort levels and their sense of wellbeing’.
Tory MP Greg Smith told the paper: ‘Civil servants are there to deliver services and good government for people in this country.
‘I am utterly lost at what a Swedish dog massage course could possibly do to help that mission. Perhaps I am missing something, but I doubt it.’
A government spokesman said: ‘Our Border Force dogs do an outstanding job every day, helping to detect billions of pounds worth of drugs being smuggled into our country, and discovering the evidence that puts dangerous organised criminals behind bars.
‘We make no apologies whatsoever for keeping our dogs well looked after so they are always ready to perform that essential work when called upon, and anyone who wants to criticise that spending is barking up the wrong tree.’
Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden has ordered Whitehall departments to crack down on spending on government credit cards
