Windsor Police are mourning the loss of one of their own, after a police service dog died after a training exercise Monday.
Vahlter was a 2½-year-old Belgian Malinois.
He was hurt during a training exercise about 10:30 p.m., after he ran into a gatepost and sustained internal injuries, said Sgt. Brett Corey of Windsor Police.
Vahlter's handler, Const. Paul Brothers, noticed the dog was in pain and took him to the Walker Road Animal Hospital.
Const. Paul Brothers and Police Service Dog Vahlter lived and worked together.(Submitted by Windsor Police Service)"They kept him over night and were just administering some pain medication. They thought that he would be okay," said Corey. "It turns out he suffered some pretty severe internal injuries." Vahlter died Tuesday morning about ten o'clock.
Vahlter had only been on the police force for 13 months. He lived with Brothers along with another retired police service dog.
"You have to remember, these dogs are not only their partners at work but they're also their pets after they go off duty," said Corey.
"Paul's got a family and his kids are also attached to the dog. It's not only part of the police family, but part of his family."
Corey said he did not know how long it will take to replace Vahlter, but estimated it would cost approximately $20,000.
The Windsor police canine unit has four remaining canine officers.
Windsor Police plan to hang a plaque at their police dog training facility in memory of Vahlter.
Police dog credited with unprecedented six arrests in one night
WINNIPEG - It was a once-in-a-career night for a member of the Winnipeg police force — six arrests in four separate incidents during one overnight shift.
In this case, it was the type of night that members of the Winnipeg Police Service canine unit only dream of, Const. Jason Michalyshen said Saturday.
Shortly before midnight on Sept. 26, Const. Scott Taylor and police dog Judge, who have worked together since 2004, tracked down and arrested two suspects in a strong-arm robbery in the North End, and recovered the victim’s property.
In the canine unit, "On average, there may be three, four, five arrests per month," Michalyshen said.
But Taylor and Judge were just getting started.
The pair then tracked down a suspect in a domestic assault.
Later that night, suspects abandoned a stolen vehicle in The Maples and fled on foot, only to be collared by Tayor and Judge.
Finally, at 6 a.m. on Sept. 27, a man suspected of beating up another man who suffered serious injuries. The suspect took off, but Judge and Taylor found him in a nearby yard and made the arrest.
Michalyshen said that the canine unit has 15 dogs and 10 handlers, who are usually involved in calls during their shifts. But to make six arrests from four separate incidents is "outstanding" work, and Taylor and Judge are unlikely to see that much successful action again in their careers.
"(Taylor’s) words were, 'this was a dream night for him,'" said Michalyshen. "It was outstanding work by Const. Taylor and Judge."
__________________________________________
Police partners are also best friends
Lar has been shot at, knifed and kicked . . . and loved every minute of it
Danielle Bell, The Daily News
Published: Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Although he still packs a mean bite and keeps Muir on his toes, the policing days for Lar, a German shepherd, are numbered.
The eight-year-old dog will be forced into retirement soon but it won't be an easy transition for either him or his handler. The pair have worked in nearly every province and territory in the country, risked their lives together and have probably spent more time living and working together than some married couples.
"I can look in his eyes and tell what he's thinking.
"He's my best friend," said Muir.
"I know he's saved my life."
So often on the frontlines yet rarely seen in public, these canine RCMP officers are a rare breed.
There are only about 115 dog handlers in the country.
Three, including Muir, are in Nanaimo.
The 39-kilogram crimefighter was about half the age of the other dog recruits when he and Muir started training at the RCMP police dog service training centre in Alberta, where Lar was bred.
The dog was "an absolute machine," said Muir, gaining 25 pounds of muscle during training alone.
Named by a 14-year-old Saskatchewan girl in the RCMP's annual puppy-naming contest in 2001, Lar (short for Lares) is Latin for guardian or "to protect."
Lar is Muir's first working dog, although he has raised several for the RCMP. The compact canine has caught hundreds of criminals and sniffed out countless drugs in his storied career but has also reunited the missing or dead with their loved ones.
The dog has travelled the tundra, hiked through rough terrain and has never let water stop him in his pursuit of perpetrators.
When Muir gives his German commands, Lar goes, even tracking straight into the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans to nab bad guys.
Lar once brought down a car thief in front of the grandstands during a horse race in Cloverdale. Another time, a woman who hit a cop in her stolen car was captured in a stranger's home as the family watched T.V.
On high-risk calls such as backing up the emergency response team, Lar even wears his own bullet-proof vest.
But to Muir, 41, Lar is not just a partner, he's a member of the family.
Though he's not allowed to sleep in the house, Lar, with Muir's wife and two young daughters, has been backpacking and on cross-country RV trips. He is well-behaved in a canoe and is a mean soccer player.
Yet Lar has already reached the age when most police dogs retire. And though he's not happy about it, his south Nanaimo home turf is already invaded by his likely predecessor, 11-month-old Arco.
Gone will be the days of hanging out in the tinted suburban SUV -- which sports a rubberized mat so Lar can cling while Muir races to calls -- or living for the red rubber ball that's a reward for a job well done.
It's a milestone for the canines that find bodies and subdue suspects ... out of love for a plastic toy
Sep 26, 2009 04:30 AMEmily Mathieu Staff Reporter
Clad head to toe in dark clothing, black boots and body armour, Sgt. Jim Adamson cuts an intimidating figure in the dim hallway of the Day's Inn Hotel.
However the suspect, sitting on the floor with his back to the wall, has his eyes trained on the officer's 38-kilogram backup.
"What kind of dog is that?" the man finally asks, during a quiet moment between police questions.
Adamson replies, "He's a German shepherd, he's my partner."
The man takes another look. "Good partner."
The dog is Sonik, a six-year-old member of the Toronto Police Dog Services unit.
On Wednesday night, the pair went into action when a woman was reportedly being sexually assaulted and held against her will at the hotel on Wilson Ave. After answering police questions, the man was cleared of wrongdoing. The woman's sister had called on her behalf. However she told police she did not intend to press charges and left the hotel.
The call is one of four for Sonik during a 9-hour shift. He is a general service dog, trained in sniffing out human scents and firearms, building searches, handler protection and criminal apprehension.
Today, the police canine unit will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a picnic and open house at its facility at 44 Beechwood Dr. in the Don Valley parklands. As of 10 a.m., kids can meet 30 dogs, watch drills and get their faces painted. The event is for dog lovers only; no family pets allowed.
The unit started in 1989, said staff Sgt. Max Carter, with the purchase of one dog for $1 from a police constable. Now there are 32 dogs, a staff of 22 "and our budget is a little more than a dollar," said Carter.
Sonik, originally from Czechoslovakia, cost about $4,000. The dogs are trained for 12 to 15 weeks and are recertified every year.
Some, like Carter's black Labrador-cross named Rip, are specialists, used for drug detection, explosives, search and rescue and cadaver searches.
Rip can find a small patch of human tissue, buried two feet deep on a four- to six-hectare plot of land, in less than five minutes, said Carter
On Wednesday, Sonik was also used to hunt for shells at the site of a shooting and act as backup at a stolen property call.
He and his partner also were in the mix as officers searched for a missing man with dementia.
In situations like the hotel call, Sonik is most useful if someone tries to flee. Adamson then shouts, "Stop or I will send the dog."
If ignored, he yells "Take him" to Sonik.
"Then I yell, `Stand still.' If you stop, he'll circle and bark. If you continue to run, he'll bite and hold."
Sonik's motivation is fairly simple. He works for Adamson's affection and a chance to play with a blue plastic toy the officer keeps in a side pocket.
"He doesn't think he is going after a suspect," said Adamson.
"He thinks, 'What I am going to do is follow that scent (and) to find that person; when I find that person, I get my toy back ...' "
The newest members of the Moose Jaw Police Service have started their training. The new canine unit, which consists of Constables Chad Sheske and Jay Sills have kicked off a 20 week training period.
"We're bringing a person in from Regina who will train us five days a week, probably eight hours a day for that 20 weeks we're going to work with our dogs," said Constable Sheske. The training will include agility, obedience, tracking, criminal apprehension and narcotics detection.
"The ultimate goal with the dogs is to help our service catch bad guys, find missing people and as well maybe cut into some of the drugs that are found within the city." Once their training is complete, Constables Sheske and Stills will each work with one of the dogs, likely on seperate shifts.
In the simmering heat, officer Kendy Michaloski and her canine partner, a big, bounding black Lab named Timber, scoot around cars that have been pulled over at the Peace Arch border.
Timber is a bundle of energy, but she pauses here and there to sniff and scratch. She is the lookout for illegal narcotics and firearms.
The two make a powerful pair, moving quickly up and down a line of cars, with Timber being set loose inside one of them where she explores every nook and cranny. They are among the guardians in the last line of defence for contraband entering the country.
"Good dog," Michaloski praises with glowing eyes and allows Timber to grip her favourite toy called a kong. The two obviously adore each other.
They have been working as a team for only one year, making them rookies in the whole business of using dogs to hunt out criminal elements.
That is the key reason Michaloski has signed them up to compete in the World Police and Fire Games that kick off with a splashy ceremony at Swangard Stadium Friday night.
"Right now, I am the new kid on the block," said Michaloski in an interview at the border. "It's all about learning from the senior handlers."
She admits that it would be pretty cool, however, if she and Timber won in the narcotics detection competition. She is already thinking of how she would reward her playful but dogged companion who lives with her.
"In this heat, I have been freezing some dog bones inside ice cubes and she really likes that, so I might have to do her up some especially for that."
And then, of course, there would be a big swim. Timber loves to swim. Oh, and probably a big romp in the park with some of those orange hockey balls that are part of the team's off-duty repertoire.
When the possibility of competing in the games came up, she and Timber leaped at it. "You just hope that a competition comes up some time in your career because they are few and far between." Add to that the fact that Michaloski, who is 33, has always been a competitive person.
As part of the games, she and Timber will have to do a building search, a luggage search, a vehicle search and some sort of overall competition designed to root out planted narcotics, all within a short time frame. It will be challenging but she feels that she and Timber are ready for it. They have been doing some training on the side.
Like so many of the 10,000 plus athletes competing in these games, Michaloski speaks of the bond among people around the world who work to protect the public from danger. "We are all brothers and sisters in law enforcement, but we all put on our different uniforms so that can sometimes keep us a little separated."
Police officers, corrections officers and border guards always have to put on a stern face to the public. Kendy, who is also competing with a Canadians Services Border Agency team in the dragon boat competition, notes that the games give like-minded people the chance to let their guard down and have fun together. She is looking forward to that as much as the competition.
Sgt. Gord McGuinness, who is coordinating the police service dog competition, says this will be one of the most fascinating, entertaining events at the games.
Both dogs and handlers will be put through their paces in two events, although the dog is the star in both. McGuinness, who was a dog handler with the Vancouver Police Department for eight years and then rose to the rank of sergeant in the unit and was a dog trainer for seven years, estimates that the dog accounts for 70 per cent of the skill required and the handler accounts for 30 per cent.
In the general duty dog event which is open to the public, the canine competitors will have to apprehend a suspect firing a gun, redirect to a second suspect and locate a suspect under one of five boxes.
In the narcotics and explosives competition, dogs will have to search a building, four vehicles and eight pieces of luggage. Games organizers have closed this to the public because it is being held at a closed, secured site and partly because handlers of dogs specializing in narcotics detection often work as plainclothes officers and must remain anonymous.
Now a sergeant in the VPD's traffic enforcement division, McGuinness joked, "I have gone from a four-legged dog to a two-legged Harley."
But he has not lost sight of the amazing acumen possessed by most police dogs and their skill in sniffing out the bad guys or illegal substances. He pointed out that the dog section in any police department is one of the most dangerous because it is called out often when a suspect is still at the scene. Dogs are also often the unsung heroes, going fearlessly after criminals who could be armed and dangerous.
He knows first-hand about the deep bond between handler and animal. He lost a dog in 1989 in active duty. "It was like losing a family member. I still get choked up when I think about."
There are 24 dog-handler teams in the general duty event, 25 in the narcotics competition and only four in the explosives competition which, McGuinness explained, is a fairly new field. Teams are coming from as far away as California, Washington, Quebec and Alaska.
With so much high-powered canine talent descending on the city and so many proud, fiercely competitive handlers on display, McGuinness is hoping the public takes the time to come out to the general duty event.
- The general duty event gets underway at 8 a.m. at Queen's Park Stadium in New Westminster Thursday Aug. 6 with the criminal apprehension portion likely to take place in the late morning or early afternoon and a medal ceremony at around 3 p.m.
Wetaskiwin’s new RCMP police dog services officer Corp. Mike Zinck has been involved in this training for much of his career with the RCMP.
Zinck said the dogs go through rigorous training from the time they are walking, which focuses mostly on human scent tracking. That tracking based on scent, helps in the finding and apprehending of suspects to finding evidence as small as a shirt button, and finding missing persons.
Partnered with Storm
Zinck is partnered with Storm, who he trained with and has been with for two years.
Part of the training in apprehending suspects includes biting and holding on to the suspect, something that Zinck explained is another important part of the training, and something that is done only on the command of the RCMP dog handler.
“Our dogs will do that under the direct control of the handler. In this case, Storm will pursue and apprehend a dangerous or violent suspect or fleeing suspect, under my direct control. That means he will pursue them, bite onto them and hold on to them until such time as the handler can gain control of the suspect,” he explained.
Zinc said it is precise training to insure that temperament is only used at the appropriate times, and doesn’t manifest itself when the dog is being used for other duties.
The RCMP Police Dog Services, we have very high standards for our police dogs, probably one of the highest in the world of K-9 police dog handlers. One of the reasons is precisely for that. We are not after a police dog to be over aggressive and dominant in that particular profile. We want a dog that is even in all profiles.”
He said the German Shepherd is a perfect breed for that and that is why it has been chosen by the RCMP. Although some breeds may be better trackers, the German Shepherd has the temperament needed to perform a variety of duties.
The potential police dog puppies come from stock kept by the RCMP and are through proven lines, so the RCMP knows the background of the dog and that there is a history of proven police dog stock in the past.
The puppies in the police dog training program are hooked up with a handler at a year old and throughout their first couple years continuously tested to determine if they have what it takes to be a police dog, and dogs are weeded out along the way.
Zinck’s last RCMP dog was retired at the age of eight, and enjoyed more than a year of retirement before being put down due to age. He said how long a dog serves depends on the dog.
“In terms of length, I guess it is subjective. Basically there is no given age set in stone tat says when a police dog will retire. It comes down to the health of the dog and its ability to function and perform its duties as required,” said Zinck.
Average length of duty for dogs
“The average is anywhere between eight to 10 years. We have police dogs that are older than that, but they are a little bit slower and long in the tooth and work takes a toll on them.”
If retired or rejected along the way by failing the rigorous RCMP testing, dogs are either used by other police forces for specific duties or if appropriate, sold off as family pets.
While Moose Jaw Police Service’s newest members will soon be in the Friendly City, fighting crime and playing with chew toys, the sight of cops on bicycles will be less frequent this summer.
Regina’s Brian Amm, a professional dog trainer from Canine Resources and Consulting, is currently in eastern Canada, searching professional breeders for a pair of canines that can serve as city police dogs.
Funding for the canine program, estimated to cost about $100,000, will come out of the police share of provincial revenue sharing in 2009.
Cpl. Dave Purdy, local police spokesman, said Amm would train officers in the new canine unit with their four-legged partners over a 20-week period, starting Sept. 14. The training will occur locally.
Those working with the dogs will be Constables Chad Sheske and Jay Sills. Purdy said the two received their new positions following a competitive screening process that included physical and psychological testing, as well as interviews.
Aside from providing a public relations tool for the local police force, Purdy said the dogs would help in tracking for people and property, as well as searching during alarm calls and sniffing out narcotics. He added the dogs would help out police in any other capacities they can.
While the sight of police dogs will be something new in Moose Jaw, one common summertime sight Moose Javians are seeing less frequently this year is city police on bicycle patrol.
Purdy said staffing numbers this summer, along with poor weather, simply have not been conducive for the local police force to send out bicycle patrols as frequently as in previous years.
Whitby man is the first person in Durham to be charged under Ontario's new Provincial Animal Welfare Act with harming a dog working with a peace officer.
A K9 officer and his partner, a 2-1/2-year-old German Shepherd named Magnum, were out tracking down a man who had allegedly stolen a laptop from a Wal-Mart on Laval Dr. in Oshawa on Friday.
The pair found the 44-year-old suspect hiding out in a shed that was in the back yard of a nearby house.
Upon being discovered, the man threw a piece of plywood, which struck the dog's rib cage.
The dog persevered through the attack. The officer arrested the accused.
Alister Smith is charged with theft under $5,000, possession of stolen property, assault of police and cruelty to animals,
Smith is also charged with harming a dog working with a peace officer. He is the first person to be charged since the legislation was passed in November 2008.
If convicted, the maximum penalty is a $2,000 fine and/or six months in prison.
It seems that this legislation was put in place to deal with the large increase in K9 units in Ontario, suggested Sgt. Nancy van Rooy of the Durham police.
"If you are going to take an animal...and then bring it out on a consistent basis dealing with people that could potentially be violent...you're always putting the dog in a potential line of injury," said van Rooy.
"If that's the case, you need to protect the animal and make people accountable for their actions."
Durham police employs 10 dogs in their force, ranging from Springer Spaniels to German Shepherds to a Belgian Malinois.
The dogs, which join the force between their first and second birthday, undergo four months of vigorous training.
Police dogs do occasionally get kicked and punched when chasing down suspects but it's rare that people throw objects at them, said Det. Const. Jim Stephenson.
"Generally they are fine to go back to work, fine psychologically," assured Stephenson. "[Being attacked] actually makes the dog work harder, go in harder on the next person."
It is up to the canine's officer to stop the aggression from escalating into an attack.
Following a veterinarian's examination of Magnum, who has been on the force for a year-and-a-half, it seems he is going to be fine and back on duty soon.
Instead of tracking down thieves or sniffing out stolen property, a Comox Valley police pooch called Murphy is free to chase his tail and smell the roses.
In May, Murphy - one of two Comox Valley police service dogs - sustained a debilitating injury and his handler Const. Gord Rutherford decided the loyal German Shepherd should take an early retirement.
"He was carrying on in his normal goofiness and slipped on the grass and partially tore his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament)," Rutherford said.
Murphy, 7, or 49 in people years, is now living a happily retired dog's life in Alberta with the family who raised him as a pup.
Rutherford, who has been handling dogs since 1995, is heading off to Alberta this week with Murphy's replacement, a police dog called Cody.
Together, they'll train for three weeks before returning to the Valley as a solid team.
In the meantime, the local RCMP will be down a handler and dog team and Cpl. Terry Higginson and his partner Nick, will have to fill in.
Murphy had been with the Comox Valley RCMP for about two years, but had served other communities prior to that - chasing down culprits, finding missing people and sniffing out drugs and stolen property.
Rutherford said the highlight of the pair's career together occurred last summer, when his four-legged sidekick succeeded in locating a missing child in rural Campbell River.
"It was a two-year-old girl who wandered off from a wilderness campground," Rutherford recalled.
"I directed the team to where the dog was pointing. We cut across a swamp and found her laying by a tree and the little girl had just woken up from a nap."
Asked if he became attached to his canine partners, Rutherford said, 'Absolutely.'"
"It's very hard," he said. "You're a team. You work closely. They live at home with you. You take care of them and you're with them every day.
"Police work is inherently dangerous at the best of times. And these dogs, with their abilities, instincts and their senses, I've never been in a life or death situation but there's no doubt in my mind that any dog that you're teamed with ... they'd give their life for you."
According to Rutherford, the RCMP raises about 70-80 per cent of its police dogs from its own breeding program. The others were bought from brokers or were imported from European stock, he said.
He added, there were roughly 120 dog and handler teams across Canada.
LEGISLATORS LOOK TO PROTECT GUIDE DOGS AND OTHER SERVICE ANIMALS
Sharon Blady, the MLA for KirkfieldPark, introduced a private member’s bill in the legislature today that would protect guide dogs and other service animals such as search-and-rescue dogs. The proposed legislation, the first of its kind in Canada, would make it an offence to interfere with service animals or to allow other animals to do so without consent.
Blady said the need for such legislation came to light in 2005 when a guide dog belonging to a visually impaired woman was attacked by another dog in Winnipeg. As a result, the traumatized guide dog could no longer perform his duties, and the owner had to take the dog to New York for costly retraining.
Existing animal protection laws, including the Criminal Code, provide penalties for injuring or killing animals, but say nothing about interfering with the ability of service animals to do the work that they were trained for. Blady’s bill would fill this gap, providing fines of up to $5,000 for a first offence, and allowing judges to order the offender to pay compensation to the owner.
Blady began consultations with disabilities organizations, visually impaired individuals and law enforcement and fire/paramedic agencies on her proposal last July. “They told me that the public is largely unaware that interfering with a service animal without the owner’s consent can affect its ability to perform their duties. My hope is that this bill will generate more public awareness of the special status of these animals.”
Janet Hunt, who owes her independence to her seeing-eye dog, said “It’s hard to believe that someone would interfere with or harm a working service animal, but it happens. I’m very pleased about this proposed protection law,” said a member of the mayor’s Access Advisory Committee. “I hope it helps people understand the intense training these animals go through to do their jobs, and how important it is to allow them to do their jobs properly.”
________________________________
Drug kits for police dogs
By SARAH DEETH/Examiner Staff Writer
The city police canine unit got a boost from Invisible Fence, with the donation of two drug kits.
Const. Jeff Chartier, who handles police dog Harris, said the kits will be used during training exercises.
The kits are made of a black synthetic material and a city police service patch is sewn onto the front.
Inside each kit are 12 jars that will eventually contain drug samples. During a training exercise the officers will hide the jars and get the dogs to find them.
Chartier said both he and Const. Brent Mason, who handles police dog Knight, had one kit shared between them.
That kit was falling apart, he said, and Invisible Fence manager Steve Welch offered to purchase new kits for the service.
“Now we’ll each have one and be able to train every day,” Chartier said.
Invisible Fence has previously donated bedding for the dogs’ kennels.
For Welch, donating supplies to the canine unit was a logical choice. His business is all about dogs, he said.
Welch said he’d been making donations to fire departments for about a year and wanted to do the same for the police.
“Apparently this is just what they needed,” he said.
A 42-year-old woman, wielding what looked like a can of pepper spray, is suspected to have robbed a Subway restaurant on Wilkinson Road last night before being tracked by a police canine unit, chased and apprehended.
Saanich police Sgt. John Price said a Subway employee called police just before 10 p.m. last night reporting the robbery.
“She entered the store, produced a weapon – what appeared to be mace or pepper spray – and demanded money,” Price said.
First on scene were police canine unit, Cst. Jason Whittaker and dog Brock, who tracked the suspect along the front of the building out to Interurban Road – where the trail ended and a white Chevy sedan sped away.
Patrol officers in the area were able to stop the woman in her vehicle in the 3700-block of Helmcken Road. She matched the description of the suspect in the robbery of the Subway and also of a nearby Mac’s convenience store on Jan. 9.
“It’s certainly unusual to have women robbers,” said Price. “Not that it doesn’t happen. It’s just mostly men who we see do this.”
Saanich Police are recommending charges against the woman in both robberies.
For now, the 11-week-old German Shepherd puppy is happy to pull on a grey piece of cloth, playing tug-of-war with his adoptive father, a Kamloops Mountie.
Arex’s real father and his mother are in Innisfail, Alta., at the RCMP Police Dog Service, which is where the puppy will end up himself in about a year.
The officer taking care of Arex — who asked to be identified only as Const. Lewis because of the undercover work he takes part in — is working on “imprinting” the dog, bringing out his natural instincts that are best suited to police work.
“He actually started imprinting — which is a fancy word for puppy-training — at eight weeks,” Lewis says, explaining that the process involves familiarizing Arex with sounds, environments and situations that he will one day have to deal with when on-duty.
As the strong-jawed puppy relentlessly tugs on the grey piece of cloth he is holding, Lewis explains that the game — which he calls “ragging” — is actually a part of training.
Lewis points out Arex’s hind legs, which are working hard to pull the piece of cloth out of the officer’s grip.
“That’s so he can pull a bad guy out of a car or out of a stairwell,” he says proudly.
“It goes above and beyond just getting him to be mean. . . . We’re not training them as police dogs, we’re imprinting their natural behaviour.”
But if that’s job training, somebody better tell Arex.
The puppy obviously loves “ragging,” and, Lewis explains, is also really into fetch.
“He’s very mischievous, full of energy,” the officer says, noting the puppy’s aggression, confidence and eagerness to please will bode well for him in his future career.
“He shows amazing qualities for a police dog. He shows an excellent ability for aggression and he’s a very smart dog.”
Meeting a half-dozen reporters Friday at the RCMP’s Battle Street detachment, Arex was loving the attention, being petted and played with and posing for photos.
But Lewis says he’ll soon have to stop allowing the pup to interact playfully with people.
“In a short time we’ll cut off his contact with people in a caring, loving way,” he says.
“We have to teach him that people can’t reward him for nothing.”
Lewis, who has raised two previous police puppies, says the plan now is to keep imprinting Arex until he’s 18 months — and then it’s time for him to go to Innisfail.
After that, he could end up anywhere in Canada.
But Lewis isn’t worried.
In fact, he’s hoping to go with him.
“I hope I can take him,” the officer said, explaining that it’s his plan to become a dog-handler and work with Arex.
“They make you sign a contract saying you’d go anywhere in Canada, from Nunavut to Newfoundland.”
Lewis, an admitted dog-lover, says he’s drawn to the bond between canine officers and their “partners.”
“I love the idea of having a partner 24/7,” he says.
“You know he’s your partner.
“There’s a reward in helping that other person — or dog — achieve a goal. No other place in the RCMP do you get that level of teamwork.
Police say they pulled a teen from his basement hiding spot after an armed robbery in the west end.
A masked male with a knife barged into a convenience store at 154 Street and Stony Plain Road around 2:50 a.m. Tuesday and robbed the clerk of an unspecified amount of cash and cigarettes.
A police dog tracked a suspect to a home at 158 Street and 96 Avenue.
The tactical unit was brought in and officers removed a man several hours later.
Stephen Michael Hosegood, 19, has been charged with robbery, possession of a weapon, and wearing a disguise with criminal intent.
TransLink steps up security at certain stations in an effort to quell the perception that the transit line is a magnet for crime
Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun
Published: Tuesday, December 02, 2008
TransLink plans to boost bike patrols and introduce police dogs at SkyTrain stations in an attempt to bolster security and quell a public perception that the transit line is a magnet for crime.
The move, based on two recent TransLink public opinion studies and a crime analysis, is aimed at securing the public transit system, particularly at stations where transit users say they feel "apprehensive" or the least safe.
The security review comes ahead of the 2009 opening of the Canada Line linking Vancouver and Richmond and the 2010 Winter Olympics.
"We really needed to step back and have an honest look at what was happening and how to deal with it," TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie said.
TransLink has already boosted the number of SkyTrain attendants and transit police at stations perceived to be the least safe, including Surrey Central, New Westminster, Broadway, Main and Metrotown.
It is also in the midst of training bike patrols, upgrading stations such as Broadway and testing sniffer dogs, making use of city police and RCMP dogs trained in detecting drugs and explosives.
Transit Police Chief Ward Clapham said if the dogs work out and are accepted by the public, transit police could develop their own team of sniffer dogs, using either German shepherds or Labradors, or work in partnership with Vancouver police and RCMP dog teams.
The dogs would help enhance routine drug sweeps.
According to the Greater Vancouver Transit Authority Police 2008 operational report, drug-related incidents increased this year with 364 cases between January and May compared with 208 over the same five-month period in 2007.
Hardie said SkyTrain often gets a bad rap for crime, but noted 71 million passengers board the train each year and there is less than one crime per 100,000 riders.
And according to the two recent studies, the public perceptions of security are not necessarily driven by crime rates at certain stations.
Waterfront station, for instance, was considered the safest station in Metro Vancouver, yet it has one of the highest crime rates in terms of incidents per 100,000 people.
Other stations such as Main Street -- which had the 11th lowest rate of crime per 100,000 boardings -- were considered less safe, mainly because of the presence of what transit customers dubbed "unsavoury people" such as drug dealers and users, loiterers and panhandlers.
"Main Street is perceived to be one of the worst places for crime; it gives people the willies," Clapham said. "Main Street's got sketchy people and squeegee kids, yet crime isn't as high as at Waterfront or Surrey Central."
Surrey Central, which was ranked least safe of all the stations, had the highest crime incident rate, at 30.52 cases per 100,000 boardings.
The studies, which surveyed 1,600 people as well as 2,700 online users about their security concerns, found transit users felt safer at downtown Vancouver stations because there are more people around. However, the combined number of incidents at those four stations is higher than in Surrey, where people feel least safe.
Two police dogs in Windsor injured after pursuing fleeing suspects
The Canadian Press
WINDSOR, Ont. — Two police din Windsor, Ont., are recovering after one was choked into unconsciousness and the other beaten while pursuing fleeing suspects.
Police were following a vehicle being driven erratically just before midnight and two people fled on foot when the vehicle stopped.
Police say one police dog, named Cezar, tracked a suspect who grabbed the dog and choked it into unconsciousness.
The other dog, Quincy, was repeatedly punched after finding the other suspect hiding under some bushes.
Both suspects were arrested and face numerous charges.
Both dogs are expected to be ok.
The following email was received following this incident as just one example of the public support shown for Police Dogs in Canada.....
Hello Sergeant Samson:
I would like to thank you for your time today on the phone regarding Cezar, the police dog. As a follow up to our conversation, I called the Mayor’s office, and suggested there be some kind of official ceremony to recognize Cezar’s and Quincy’s brave service in the line of duty.
I am pleased to say, that this suggestion was warmly received, and the assistant promised to speak with Mayor Francis on the issue.
Sergeant Samson, it is my hope that I can write again soon, with news of confirmation on a ceremony for Cezar and Quincy. I think it would be a very positive for the community in all ways.
Thank you again for your time today,
With all Best Wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Jennie M. Berkeley
Windsor, ON
__________________________________
Police dogs track break-in suspects
Posted By LINDSAY POST
November 1, 2008
Charges have been laid after a police dog tracked two men who police said broke into the Bell Canada building on Bond Street in Lindsay, City of Kawartha Lakes police said.
A witness watched two men climb the fence into the compound before stealing copper wire, police said.
With the help of the force's canine unit, two men were tracked and located nearby where they were arrested, police said.
A vehicle was found with the copper wire inside and was seized, police said.
Pierre Austin, 30, of Lindsay and James Bentley, 39, of Fenelon Falls are charged with break, enter and theft, possession of stolen property and conspiracy to commit.
They were to appear in court yesterday in Lindsay.
____________________________
Man's best friend more than just a companion
RCMP-trained dogs work with officers to prevent crimes and track down suspects
Danielle Bell, Daily News
Published: Wednesday, September 24, 2008
It's a side of police work the public rarely sees, though the 'officers' are frequently on the front lines.
After Nanaimo RCMP Const. Mark Lawson was forced to kick away a pair of pit bulls that attacked his five-year-old dog Razor on Sunday, the Daily News looked into the relationship between the canine cops and their human handlers.
Handlers said they trust their partners with their life -- and that their dogs would protect them to their deaths.
"It's a bit of an adrenaline junkie's job," said Nanaimo RCMP dog handler Cpl. Dean Muir.
"You get to catch people after they've gotten away."
On Tuesday, five RCMP dog handlers across Vancouver Island trained together, focused on obedience drills and bite work.
They make up 11 K-9 teams in detachments north of Victoria. All of the dogs can track and the majority sniff drugs.
Suspect scenarios are the limits of an officer's imagination.
"Working with a dog is like nothing else," said Muir. "He's a family member too. I tend to shape my vacations around taking my dog."
Comox Valley RCMP Cpl. Terry Higginson and his fourth dog, Nick (Razor's brother) are the only Island team trained in explosives detection. They will guard Prime Minister Stephen Harper at a Comox election tour stop today.
"If you don't have a good bond with a dog they won't want to work for you," said Higginson. "It is the basis of the foundation."
Muir and his German Shepherd, Lar, 7, have been shot at in Nunavut, tracked suspects in Surrey and recently returned from a seven-week RV road trip in the United States.
Muir recalls scenarios where officers only have to say a dog is going out and the suspect gives up his hiding place.
The dogs officers pair up with have endured a rigorous selection and training process.
Before the RCMP police dog service breeding program, which began as a pilot project in 1999, police were buying potential dogs everywhere, even sending brokers to Europe.
Potential police dogs are placed with RCMP members who want to become dog handlers through an imprinting program with the national police dog service training centre in Alberta.
Dogs that do not make it through several evaluations may be offered to the public for sale.
Officers undergo 85 days of training with their dog at the centre before they hit the streets.
Razor, Lawson's third dog, tracked down an elderly woman missing earlier this month, followed by a massive police raid last week. He is still recovering from injuries suffered in Sunday's attack .
Police officers have the option of keeping their retired service dog.
DBell@nanaimodailynews.com
250-729-4255
The Daily News (Nanaimo) 2008
___________________________________
A tribute to police dogs
September 24, 2008 - 10:14 pm
Chris Bowen/CTV
Two more names have been added to a police dog memorial at the Mountie's training centre in Innisfail.
"Rocky", with the Medicine Hat police department, and "Fred", with the RCMP in Nova Scotia --- both died in the line of duty.
Their partners, who were on hand for the memorial, tell CTV it's important that police dogs are honoured.
The RCMP also unveiled a new addition to the world class police dog training facility.
It's a developmental program for puppies that will prepare them for a career as a police dog.
Canine footwear for police dogs entering Muslim homes?
By Venkata VemuriLondon | July 06, 2008 12:05:06 PM
Police sniffer dogs may have to cover their feet when entering Muslim homes in order not to cause offence.
Efforts by security agencies to respect Muslim sensibilities in crime probes has come down to this - canine footwear. Guidelines being drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) urge awareness of religious sensitivities when using dogs to search for drugs and explosives, reports The Sunday Times.
The guidelines, to be published this year, originally designed to cover mosques will now apply to other buildings, including homes.
Where Muslims object, officers will be obliged to use sniffer dogs only in exceptional cases. Where dogs are used, they will have to wear bootees with rubber soles.
The new rule has its roots in a crime prevention poster of the Tayside Police of Dundee in Scotland featuring a german shepherd puppy. A Muslim councillor objected to the poster, saying some of his brethren may find it objectionable on the ground that dogs are unclean.
However, Muslims say it is stretching things too far. One of Britain's leading Imams, Ibrahim Mogra, says: "In Islamic law the dog is not regarded as impure, only its saliva is. Most Islamic schools of law agree on that. If security measures require to send a dog into a house, then it has to be done. I think Acpo needs to consult better and more widely."
John Midgley, co-founder of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, says: "The police are in effect being overly sensitive to potential criminals and not being sensitive enough to the public at large who need to be protected. These sort of things have a counter-productive effect because they cause huge friction between different communities."
Dog lovers are not far behind lampooning the police. Caroline Kisko, of the Kennel Club, says: "We would not condone any attempt to make search dogs wear special clothing, which could cause them distress."
Police dogs at present are issued with footwear only at scenes of explosions to prevent them injuring their paws on broken glass.ven/tb
The Saskatoon Police Service Canine Unit made a donation Thursday that will help the blind in Saskatoon and area.
Recently the Canine Unit played host to the 2008 Canadian Police Dog Championships. Officers and their police dogs competed in a variety of events including agility, obedience, and criminal apprehension.
South Simcoe Police (SSP) constables Joe Ferreri and Matt Tomlin were proud of their dogs Garen and Ronin for their accomplishments during an “Iron Dog” competition held on Wednesday, Sept. 10, hosted by Peel Regional Police. In a field that included 30 canine units from across Ontario, PC Ferreri and Garen finished second overall. PC Tomlin and Ronin placed fourth. The gruelling event featured a 4.5 km. obstacle course, followed by a suspect apprehension drill. The SSP wish to thank the men and women of the York Regional Police Canine Unit who provide ongoing training and support to the South Simcoe Police handlers and their dogs.
Niagara This Week
Cops catch burglary suspect after two-hour chase Of more than 11 Kilometres through vineyards, brush, a ravine, a four-lane highway and a golf driving range
By Mike Zettel St. Catharines Feb 01, 2008
Const. Pam Carter was on her lunch break during the night shift when she was paged. A man had broken into a woman's home in rural west St. Catharines while the occupant was sleeping. It was about quarter after 3 in the morning when the woman was startled awake and saw the intruder in her bedroom. When the woman screamed at him, he man fled the home near the corner of Third Avenue Louth and Seventh Street, taking with him her purse. The woman called the police, starting what would end up being a two-hour tracking effort involving officers in 14 cruisers, including Carter and her canine partner Scout, an eight-year-old German Shepherd. When the first responding officers arrived at the scene, an area of houses and vineyards, they were able to follow the suspect's footprints in the snow. The man, realizing police were after him, had tossed the purse and made his way north east through the vineyards, across Fifth Street Louth and Second Avenue Louth, ending up at South Service Road near Third Street -- just west of the QEW-406 junction. Carter, an officer for 20 years, and Scout were soon on the trail as well and, using the dog's keen sense of smell, she was able to follow the suspect's trail west along the service road, back across Fifth Street. Midway between Fifth and Seventh streets, the suspect climbed the seven-foot fence along the highway and made his way north across the QEW. Carter said she and the team of officers were determined not to let him get away. In her mind she imagined how she would feel if it had been her sister whose home had been broken into. "I think it's terrifying to have someone come into your personal space," she said. "At that point, she wouldn't know the intent of the suspect. For a lady to have to wake up with someone standing over her I think is so unfair." The frost fence had pointed tips at the top -- to enable Scout to climb over, Carter threw her jacket over them. Along with a sense of smell, police dogs are extremely agile, and with a little run, Scout, who joined the canine unit with Carter six years ago, was easily able to scale the fence. Scout followed the trail across the QEW and into the orchards north of the highway. The suspect headed east through the fields, back across Fifth and Third streets. At one point while tracking the suspect, officers realized they were no longer following footprints, but a tire track from a bicycle he had stolen from a backyard. Once he got to Westport Golf driving range, the suspect tossed the bike and headed into the nearby ravine. He made his way towards Martindale Road, but by this point, four cruisers had formed a tight perimeter along the street and he was unable to cross. Another cruiser was stationed near the QEW, about 100 yards from where the suspect had run to hide, hoping to be able to cross back over the highway. "The perimeter team kept a very tight circle around him," Carter said. "I absolutely feel it was the best example I have seen of teamwork." The suspect eventually backtracked west by Bethany Community Church and was spotted by Const. Josh Kalailieff. He ran back into the ravine and was followed by Kalailieff and Const. Neal Ridley. Carter and Scout circled to the north of the ravine to prevent escape. Four cruisers also drove across the driving range and shone their headlights into the ravine. He was apprehended at the bottom of the ravine by Kalailieff and Ridley at about 5:20 a.m., after almost exactly two hours of pursuit and a trail that, according to an police press release, was more than 10 kilometres long. "It was 11.7 kilometres, actually," said Carter, who has a watch equipped with GPS technology. "But who's counting? I think every muscle in my body was aching the next day." A 30-year-old St. Catharines man has been charged with break enter and commit theft and failure to comply with probation conditions.
_______________________________________________
HALIFAX NEWS
Officers Commended For Bravery
Constables Craig Conrad (from left), Jeff Nicholson and Pual Jessen, along with police dog Dutch, received commendations yesterday for their part in catching a suspect wanted for rape and attempted murder. (Daily News/Ryan Taplin)
The victim of a brutal sex assault and stabbing - in which her throat was slashed from ear to ear - yesterday helped recognize the police officers being lauded for saving her life. The 44-year-old Dartmouth woman, who can't be named because of a court-imposed publication ban, smiled proudly as she presented awards to the two officers who were first on the scene the night of Aug. 21. She was working the back shift at the Portland Street Ultramar when she was robbed, stabbed and raped by a man she had buzzed in. Michael Derrick Robicheau, 32, was arrested shortly after the attack and charged with sexual assault, attempted murder and robbery. His trial was recently adjourned until Jan. 17. After receiving their commendations, constables Jeff Nicholson and Craig Conrad said they couldn't believe the victim's courage. "I don't know anybody else that would have had that kind of strength in that situation," Nicholson said. He said she was very calm when they arrived on the scene, and clearly described the suspect and the crime. The victim attended yesterday's event with her husband. She looked healthy and happy as she spoke about the bravery of the two men. "I'll never forget what they did for me, they saved my life," she said. She called them her "heroes" and said the two officers have stuck by her over the past three months, calling and visiting on a regular basis. She remained in hospital for several weeks after the incident and said she's on the path to recovery. Also recognized for his role on Aug. 21 was Const. Paul Jessen who, along with his police dog Dutch, apprehended Robicheau less than 30 minutes after arriving on scene. Chief of police Frank Beazley commended the officers for the level of bravery they demonstrated. The Nova Scotia Criminal Justice Association also presented the John Dunlop Memorial Award to Const. Amy Lissa MacKay and Const. Dean Simmonds for their commitment to helping the community.
______________________________________________
INNISFAIL, ALBERTA
RCMP Honours Police Dogs:
Official opening of the administrative building and unveiling of a national police dog monument at Innisfail Innisfail, Alberta (June 20, 2007)
Innisfail, Alta, June 20, 2007
–This morning, the RCMP Police Dog Service Training Centre (PDSTC) officially opened its new administrative building. Deputy Commissioner William (Bill) Sweeney, RCMP North West Region and Commanding Officer, “K” Division, as well as representatives from all levels of government from municipal to federal, were on hand for the celebration. “This $2 million project is a welcome addition to a facility that already benefits from an international reputation in the field of dog training and dog breeding,” stated Deputy Commissioner Sweeney, speaking on behalf of Commissioner Bev Busson. “Every year, countless dog handling professionals and trainers come from around the world to learn from, and to exchange knowledge with, the dedicated men and women of the of the Centre. Seventy-two years have passed since the creation of the RCMP Police Dog Service and this Centre is a monument to the success of the program on both financial and human levels.” In the afternoon, dignitaries were joined by members of police agencies from Canada and the United States who have lost a canine partner, as well as hundred of well-wishers who traveled to Innisfail for the unveiling of the Canadian Police Service Dog National Monument on the grounds of the PDSTC. According to the president of the Canadian Police Service Dog National Monument Society, Inc., Constable Doug Marianchuk, the life-size bronze German shepherd statue by renowned sculptor Diane M. Anderson is a fitting tribute to the 32 police service dogs killed in the line of duty since 1965. “These 32 dogs have paid the ultimate price in Canada while protecting their handlers and the citizens they served,” explained Marianchuk. “This monument is a permanent legacy to those brave animals and, sadly, to future police dogs that may be taken from us at any time.” While guests were in attendance, PDSTC’s officer-in-charge, Inspector Lawrence Aimoe used the opportunity to award a prize to David Ly, an 11-year-old student from the Innisfail Middle School and one the 10 winners of this year’s RCMP “Name the Puppy” contest. Prior to the public demonstration, Aimoe also underlined the contribution of the County of Red Deer for its continuous support and generous donation of a new grandstand cover for the public demonstration area. Guests remained on site for the weekly RCMP Police Service Dog agility demonstration. Police service dogs are trained in several profiles including tracking, searching and criminal apprehension. Special detection work includes searching for either explosives or narcotics.
Niagara This Week 
