Newest Member Of Vernon RCMP
May 18, 2020
The Vernon North Okanagan RCMP is welcoming a new member to its ranks.
New Police Service Dog Nelly is 10 weeks old. Every year, the RCMP holds a puppy naming contest with a different letter of the alphabet chosen. This year, the letter ‘N’ and her name was selected from the Quebec submissions, according to Cpl. Tania Finn, media relations officer with the Vernon RCMP.
“Nelly is part of the RCMP puppy program and she lives with an RCMP officer who is working toward become a police service dog handler. Her puppy handler will be responsible for teaching her to track across various terrain as well as expose her to many different situations and conditions,” she said via email.
Ever four months, Nelly will be tested, and if she passes, she’ll enter the official police dog training at the RCMP Kennels in Alberta when she’s roughly one-and-a-half years old.
“Very few puppies make it to Alberta and even fewer become police dogs. Those dogs that are not successful in the puppy program are adopted and become family pets,” Finn said via email.
There are currently two police service dogs at the Vernon detachment. Cpl. Kyle works with PSD Jagger and Cst Rutten works with PSD Hawkes, Finn said via email.
“Being a police service dog handler is a big commitment as the police dog lives and works with their handler 24/7 throughout the career of the police dog. The pair develop a close bond which is crucial to ensuring a successful police dog as the handler learns every aspect of the dog’s personality and capabilities,” Finn said via email.
Most Recent News
Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life
When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]
Students Get Therapy Dog
When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]
Therapy Dogtor
Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]
Therapy Dog Pups
When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]
Puppy Cams
A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]
Pet Committee
When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]