A Tavistock schoolboy, who is mad about dogs, got the chance of a life time when he spent the day with the county sheriffs' canine handlers in Florida recently.
Jason Barnard, a pupil at St Peter's School, has now seen how police dogs are trained on both sides of the Atlantic and is more determined than ever to be a police dog handler when he grows up.
The eight-year-old and his brother Carl, who attends Tavistock College, were guests of the Clearwater police and the Pinellas County Sheriff's K9 sections at a special dog training session organised by a friend of their father's during a half-term trip to Florida.
Earlier this year Jason spent a day with Devon and Cornwall's police dog handlers in Exeter.
'Jason loves animals and has wanted to be a dog handler since he was very small,' said mother Beccy.
'The dogs are treated wonderfully in America with special bathrooms where they are washed and groomed. The Lincoln police cars are adapted for the dogs with a special place in the back with air conditioning. They do get VIP treatment.
'There is even a cemetery for the dogs which have been in police service.'
The evening training session was organised by friend Dale Stoddard who works in communications at Clearwater police headquarters.
Both Dale and the boys' father Chris collect police memorabilia and also design and manufacture police patches for agencies around the world.
l Pictured left are Jason and Carl with Clearwater police dog trainers