A charity that trains dogs to detect life-threatening health conditions in humans has chosen a pair of Mercedes-Benz vans to help continue its work.
Milton Keynes-based Medical Detection Dogs purchased its new Citans from dealer Hughes of Aylesbury.
The vehicles are both 109 CDI models with one supplied as an Extra-long Crew van with second row of seats, while the other is a Long-bodied variant. Both are liveried and fitted with optional alloy wheels.
The charity uses Bio-Detection Dogs, which are trained to identify the distinctive scents of diseases, in samples such as urine, breath and swabs. Its Medical Alert Assistance Dogs, meanwhile, can detect minute changes in an individual’s personal odour, triggered by their condition.
Medical Detection Dogs trains several canine breeds, although Labradors and spaniels have proved particularly adept at alerting humans to the presence of life-threatening illnesses. Rather than keeping them in kennels, its dogs are fostered out with families.
The charity is now using the Citans to collect the dogs from their homes and transport them in crates for training or to undertake their work with clients throughout the country, using the new Citans.
The charity’s chief executive officer Dr Claire Guest commented: “We’ve previously leased our vehicles but did some calculations based on the fact that they’re covering the best part of 30,000 miles a year and concluded that it would now be more cost-effective to own them outright.
“There’s not a lot to choose between the two acquisition methods over the first three years, but we foresee a particular benefit once we get into years four and five, when our analysis suggests outright ownership becomes a better bet.
“So we set out to buy the most reliable van on the market and, of course, Mercedes-Benz has an unrivalled reputation for the quality and longevity of its products. We’re confident that the Citans are very well made and robust enough to do a great job for us.”
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