Police Welcomes New Recruit
May 28, 2020
The Moose Jaw Police Service has a new recruit, but he’s of the four-legged variety.
“Merc” passed his validation testing last week and he is now the fourth dog to join Moose Jaw’s K9 Unit.
“Usually, that’s the proper protocol is that when an old dog retires a new one is brought in or when the service is increasing say dog power or canine handlers they will bring in other dogs and begin training from there,” said Cst. Jim Biniaris, who is Merc’s handler.
In many ways, this dog holds special meaning to Biniaris. The dog is named in honour of Cst. Jason Mercer, an 18-year veteran of the Moose Jaw police force who died on March 23, 2016.
Biniaris said he was very close to Mercer.
“Jason was actually my field training officer for the majority of my career and so we found it fitting that I’d get Merc as my police service dog,” he said.
Police dogs go through rigorous training and Biniaris and Merc just finished training and Biniaris said he’s looking forward to getting back into patrolling with his new partner.
The K9 Unit can be deployed for a number of different reasons. These include alarm calls, violent offences, scenarios where a suspect has fled the scene, searching buildings and vehicles and assisting in missing person cases.
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 […]