CANINE UNIT

The Canine Unit plays an important support role for the Ground Search Team. The dog’s keen sense of smell is utilized to search wooded areas, buildings, collapsed structures, small bodies of water and inaccessible areas, for lost and injured persons and for human remains.

All dogs must be certified in a rigorous 10 week course encompassing open area, building, and article searches, tracking, control work and agility course. They also meet the standards of other credited agencies such as, the Ontario Provincial Police Civilian Search Dog program and the North American Police Work Dog Association.

Our dogs and their handlers have responded to requests for service from the Provincial and most Municipal and Regional Police Services in Ontario and more recently, International disasters.

The successes of our Canine Unit over the years and the accolades from police investigators, pathologists, medical examiners, along with the gratitude of the community they serve, has ensured their place as a vital component of our search and rescue team.