WEST Yorkshire Police is offering a sponsorship deal - for a dog.

The force wants firms in the county to sponsor one of its German shepherd dogs.

Two dogs are already sponsored by companies and a further company has just decided to back the idea.

The dogs play a vital support role by assisting with searches for suspects and evidence at incident scenes. Some dogs can track suspects for up to two miles over different surfaces.

They are also used for detaining suspects, searching buildings and in situations involving crowds, such as football matches.

After an initial assessment a handler and dog train together on a course for about 13 weeks before setting to work.

At any one time, West Yorkshire police has at least 50 general purpose dogs, which tend to be German shepherds. There are also 20 drugs dogs and several others can sniff out explosives.

Sgt Adrian Wright, head of dog training, said: "The dogs have got to be playful but also suspicious, with a lot of drive and energy.

"German shepherds often have this ability. The training is based around play with lots of rewards for the dogs.

"Working for the police is a great life for the dog and they are well looked after both at work and at home."

Sponsor firms are being asked to pay for the dog, which can be named after the company if it wishes. The police dogs are normally bought from dealers for about £750.

West Yorkshire Police's business partnership manager Chris Quinn said: "We would like to talk to any interested firms. Please get in touch with me on 01924 292346 for further details."