Ninja's Trust - Australian Retired Police Dogs

Ninja’s Trust supports retired police dogs across the country. Ninja was an Australian Federal Police dog who worked alongside his handler for 7 years protecting and serving Australians. He was a beautiful German Shepherd dog with an outgoing personality and a keen desire to serve his handler. As with all police dogs, Ninja and his handler became inseparable and formed a dynamic working partnership.

Ninja left the police service in 2021 and passed away in 2023. In honour of his exemplary service, Ninja’s Trust was formed to improve the health and welfare of retired police dogs, and to advocate for, defend, honour and heal these loyal and hard-working dogs.

These highly intelligent and well-trained dogs work throughout their lives, but by the age of 7 or 8 they are ready to retire and are typically adopted by their handlers or other service members. Retired police dogs do not receive financial support or a pension in their retirement, meaning the responsibility for their care and vet bills falls solely to their handler or new owner.

Handlers developed a unique bond with their service dogs, and will go to great lengths to support them, but after long and often gruelling working lives, vet bills are inevitable and generally expensive. Due to the nature of their service and the courageous acts they perform, police dogs are rarely eligible for insurance.

While police dogs are incredibly well-trained, the stress of their service can have unintended consequences. These dogs can experience separation anxiety, depression, or even post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mission Statement: Ninja’s Trust - Australian Retired Police Dogs will advocate for, defend, honour and help to heal retired police dogs across Australia.

Advocate – Ninja’s Trust will work to ensure the best possible treatment and conditions for police service dogs in their retirement. We will champion the rights of these dedicated dogs, and lobby for their recognition and fair treatment as valued sworn members of the nation’s police forces.

Defend - Ninja’s Trust will actively work to influence law makers and seek partnerships with corporate entities to support the retirement of police dogs in Australia.

Honour - Police Service dogs are the unsung heroes of our First Responders. These highly trained animals conduct high risk tasks to support the Australian community. They consistently provide outstanding service and risk their lives to keep the public safe. We will celebrate the service of these dogs and raise awareness of their incredible achievements.

Heal - The cost of caring for a Retired Police Dog falls solely on their previous handler and/or new owner. To say thank you for their service, Ninja’s Trust aims to provide financial support to help cover the costs of medical care, and the daily costs associated with homing a retired police dog.