EDMONTON – About 100 people braved chilly temperatures Sunday morning, to take part in a special meet-and-greet event with the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) Canine Unit. The public appreciation event, held at Hawrelak Park, also provided officers a chance to thank those who have supported the service since the death of Police Service Dog Quanto.
“It’s been really special in some ways, considering the tragedy that we did suffer,” said Staff Sgt. Troy Carriere with EPS Canine Unit. “The support that we’ve received has been astonishing. From little girls from Ottawa wanting to send their $10 they’ve collected over the past year to us, to people in the United States who have actually done big sites on the computer to actually acknowledge the loss of Quanto.”
Quanto, a five-year-old German Shepherd who had been with the EPS for three years, died after being stabbed October 7 during a suspect pursuit.
“A lot of people are dog lovers, a lot of people see the pain that it does cause when we do lose a part of our family,” Carriere said. “And you can’t help but feel the same loss when you see a tragic event like what occurred on October 7.”
The loss of Quanto really hit home for John Dignard, who relies on his service dog, Eve, on a daily basis.
“This is my independence, I’m lost without this dog,” he explained. “Without this dog, I can’t go anywhere.”
Dignard was one of dozens of people who attended the event Sunday. Several officers and their service dogs were on hand to meet with the public and demonstrate the work they do on a daily basis.
“A little bit of protection work, a little obedience and a little bit of narcotic search,” Carriere explained.
Watch: EPS Canine Unit demonstration
“They’re so well trained,” said Lisa Cain, who brought her two-year-old daughter, Rebecca, to the event. “She needs to know that they’re on our side and they are going to help protect us and they are here to help keep us safe.”
The EPS puppy training program begins when the animals are just eight-weeks-old. They train in several areas including tracking, searching, and criminal apprehension until they’re about 18-months-old. From there, the canines go through four months of solid training, 12 hours per day.
“There’s a huge amount of training that goes into it. And much like a police officer, that’s just the beginning,” Carriere explained. “They then have to continue to train every day, because they’re still very inexperienced and very new. It takes years to get really good. Usually at about three or four years on the street, much where Quanto was, is when they’re in the prime of their time.”
Quanto is the fifth police service dog the Canine Unit has lost since its inception in 1967. Carriere says the dogs play an extremely important role in the EPS and it’s very comforting to see how many people appreciate the work they do.
“These dogs are trained to do a job and they do it extremely well. Part of that job may be at times to put their life on the line and that’s what happened on October 7,” he explained. “There’s no question that what happened October 7, that Quanto being deployed to apprehend the suspect, saved a member’s life or members lives that day. And that was his job.”
The EPS Canine Unit is made up of two sergeants and 12 handler/dog teams.
With files from Shannon Greer, Global News.