A police dog wearing foot protection is seen in a photo provided by police in Duesseldorf, western Germany, on Monday Feb. 25, 2008.

Police dogs in Duesseldorf will no longer get their feet dirty on patrol: The entire dog unit, 20 dogs, will be equipped with these blue plastic fiber shoes. The unusual footwear is not a fashion statement but rather a necessity due to the high rate of paw injuries suffered while on duty.

Photo: AP