New Heating System Benefits Melton Base Military K-9s

A new heating system has been installed at Melton’s Defence Animal Training Regiment (DATR) headquarters, a training establishment, based in Melton Mowbray, east Leicestershire.

The old heating system in the kennels couldn't handle the new Ministry of Defence rules, which mandate that temperatures stay above 10 degrees Celsius in winter, according to a Melton Times article.

The 2015 heating system failed to keep the 240 working dogs warm as the heat escaped from the enclosure, the article noted.

Each kennel at VIVO Defence Services now has infrared heating panels installed in the ceilings. These panels are cool to touch and have protective cage panels to ensure the dogs' safety, the article noted.

Monitors are connected to digital displays outside each kennel door so handlers can see the temperature, the report said.

According to the Melton Times article, the system has trimmed heating costs by a third and reduced carbon emissions significantly.

The dogs at the kennels are mostly Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds. They guard military sites, but there are also a few spaniels that sniff out explosives, the article reported.