Dogs for the Saskatchewan RCMP helped a thousand investigations last year and new training has made handlers better equipped should injury or illness strike them or their dogs in the line of duty.In 2023, PDS assisted in 1,015 investigations, including high-risk situations, with 229 of the calls involving firearms, 82 involving other weapons and 89 involving flights from police. The handler-dog teams drove tens of thousands of kilometres during the year, to every corner of the province.In late January, police dog Soap and his handler were called to track two men who had stolen a vehicle and discharged a firearm in the Battlefords Detachment area. When the stolen vehicle was located, Soap led investigators straight to a house, where they found the suspects, one of whom had the keys to the stolen vehicle in his pocket.Police dog Kilo, who is part of the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Roving Traffic Unit, helped his handler seize approximately 1.5 kilograms of cocaine during a traffic stop in Maidstone in August 2023.Sgt. David McClarty, who heads Saskatchewan RCMP’s Police Dog Services (PDS), says the public may not realize how much training goes into the canine members of the force.“As Saskatchewan’s police service, we are uniquely able to deploy these elite-trained PDS teams anywhere they are needed,” Sgt. McClarty explains. “I’m proud of the work they do. I don’t think people always realize the immense physical condition our handlers must be in or the intense training, which is always ongoing, PDS does."In a press release, the RCMP said their dogs are are highly-trained, multi-skilled and always ready to deploy to some of this province’s highest risk calls for service.Dog teams are posted throughout Saskatchewan to allow for maximum availability and coverage and provide operational support. All of the police dogs have general duty training, including for searching, tracking and assistance in apprehending suspects. Some of the dogs also have specialized skills, such as explosives or drug detection.RCMP dog handlers keep the dogs in tiptop shape through training and proactive medical care and learn to provide first aid to them in the field. A training opportunity held in Prince Albert February 6 to 7 helped officers from PDS learn more about what to do in the case of a sudden injury or illness in the line of duty.The session, developed by a veterinarian with the RCMP’s Police Dog Service Training Centre and the first-ever held in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction, covered everything from mobility exercises to recognizing the signs of heatstroke to administering proper doses of medication in the field.“Our police dogs are just like our police officers. When they respond to calls for service, it requires a high-level of physical activity and exposure to high-risk situations,” explains McClarty.“Because of this, our handlers need to have the skills to keep these valuable members of Saskatchewan RCMP’s operational team healthy and to know what to do in the case of an emergency.”Police officers ran through a number of mock trauma scenarios and administered first aid to a dog dummy and also talked about managing the emotional response handlers may have if their dog is injured."This medical training we provided is just one example of our ongoing efforts to seek out more and more ways to enhance PDS’s already-impressive skills, so we can continue to support public safety in Saskatchewan.”
