Thursday, August 05, 2010

Dog Days For Police Recruit

Sultan, retired police dog (P. McIntyre)The latest retiree from the Vernon RCMP will be celebrating with doggie treats, rather than champagne. 'Sultan' has been tracking criminals as a service dog the last three years, but has been forced from duty due to a disc degeneration in his back (degenerative lumbosacral stenosis). His handler, Corporal Richard Gingras, says he and Sultan have worked a number of cases including an off-duty arrest of a man breaking into cars in Sicamous last weekend. "I was there on time off and walking the dog late and noticed a guy in a vehicle and I thought he looked suspicious. As soon as he (suspect) saw the dog, he decid

Corp. Richard Gingras and Sultan

ed to hang around, so he didn't run which was a good thing because I was in sandals. But that was (Sultan's) last case." Sultan who transferred with Gingras to Vernon last year from Squamish, also caught some suspects running from a grow op and tracked a suicidal woman on a mountain. Gingras says he will keep the four year old German Shepered as a pet, while he trains a new dog as his partner this fall in a six week program in Innisfail Alberta.

Top photo: Sultan, retired police dog

Bottom: Sultan with handler Corp. Ricahrd Gingras (P. McIntyre)

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