Meet the newest members of the RCMP — 13 cute puppies

Not everyone gets to own a puppy, but 13 young people from across the country had the opportunity to name a new furry friend as part of the 2017 RCMP Name the Puppy contest.

The winning names will be given to the first 13 puppies born at the RCMP’s Police Dog Service Training Centre in Innisfail, Alta.

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The names were suggested by boys and girls from every province and territory in the country. The RCMP said they received close to 21,000 submissions for the contest but only one name from each area was chosen.

“Thank you to everyone who entered the contest during this very special year in which we celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary,” Insp. Akrum Ghadban, the officer in charge of the Police Dog Service Training Centre, said in a release.

RCMP police dogs are used to search for missing or lost people, track criminals and search for evidence used in crimes.

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All names had to start with the letter “K” and have no more than two syllables and nine letters. They are meant to fit a working dog, not a pet, as they will serve the puppies throughout their careers as police dogs.

The winning entries are:

• Kage – Andrew Chin from Richmond, B.C.
• Kai – Lexi Blandford from Yellowknife, N.W.T.
• Kammo – Mia Sharpe from Leduc, Alta.
• Kaos – Evan Bambury from St. John’s, N.L.
• Karma – Layla Crouse from Lunenburg, N.S.
• Kate – Joey Argento from Montreal, Que.
• Kato – Joseph Knutson from Prince Albert, Sask.
• Kaya – Audrey LeBlanc from Beresford, N.B.
• Kayla – Kally Penner from Winnipegosis, Man.
• Kazoo – Stefano Giordano from Toronto, Ont.
• Knight – Aiden Murnaghan from Donagh, P.E.I.
• Koda – Rorie Bundt from Dawson City, Yukon
• Kullu – Nallinniq Kiguktak from Grise Fiord, Nunavut

The lucky winners will receive a laminated eight by 10-inch photo of the puppy they named, a plush dog called “Justice” and a RCMP baseball cap.

READ MORE: RCMP ask for help naming future police dogs with 2017 ‘Name the Puppy’ contest

According to the RCMP, 94 per cent of the German Shepherds working today as RCMP service dogs were born at the PDSTC, located south of Red Deer in central Alberta.

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Each year the RCMP seeks names of the same letter, going down the alphabet. Last year’s contest featured pups with names starting with the letter “J”. Some of the winners included Jango, Jolt, Jade, and Jorgia.

Next year the force will be seeking names starting with “L.” Princess Leia, anyone?