Keeping Saskatchewan Police Dogs Safe in the Line of Duty
Saskatchewan RCMP’s police dogs are highly-trained, multi-skilled and always ready to deploy to some of this province’s highest risk calls for service.
That’s why police dog handlers keep the dogs in tiptop shape through training and proactive medical care – and learn to provide first aid to them on the field. A training opportunity held in Prince Albert February 6 to 7 helped officers from Saskatchewan RCMP’s Police Dog Services (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.
In 2023, PDS assisted in 1015 investigations, including high risk situations – 229 of the calls involved firearms, 82 involved other weapons and 89 involved a flight from police. The handler-dog teams drove tens of thousands of kilometres during the year, to every corner of the province. Some of the dogs also have specialized skills, like explosives or drug detection. 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.
“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. 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.”
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