MOOSE JAW — One of the newest members of the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) is Canadian-born and -raised, young and enthusiastic and will soon replace a veteran member of the force.
Draco, a 17-month-old Belgian Malinois, was introduced as the agency’s newest police service dog (PSD) during the Board of Police Commissioners’ July 16 meeting. The energetic pup works with Const. Curtis Amiot, who oversees the K-9 Unit.
Amiot explained that a member of the Regina Police Service’s K-9 team left that unit in January after serving in it for 17 years. Before he left, though, he acquired two dogs last June and was training one to detect drugs and another — Draco — for regular patrols.
The RPS member exposed the Belgian Malinois to some socialization and briefly trained it for everyday tasks, Amiot said. Meanwhile, he acquired the animal on March 31 and put it through basic training, including comprehensive sessions to search for evidence and people, to apprehend people, and obedience and agility courses.
That training concluded on June 23, and Draco began working.
Typically, a first-time police dog handler must complete 640 hours of training, but Amiot wasn’t required to do that because he is already experienced. Also, the officer was able to acquire a validation certificate for Draco because of the training they completed in 10 weeks.
Another bonus is that Drako is a big dog and has been big since he was seven months old, so he is more mature than other canines his age, Amiot said.
“He’s (the) only dog of his litter, so I think that’s part of why he’s a little bit bigger than the average,” he remarked. “(I have) high hopes for him. He looks very promising once he matures, like, at that two-year age, he’ll be a really, really valuable and successful dog with us.”
Amiot noted that he sees many positive abilities in Draco that he didn’t see in his first dog, which will serve the animal well in the future. Also, his previous dog was born in Slovakia, while Draco was born and raised in Canada.
Being born here is positive, he said, because the MJPS avoided paying American prices or facing tariffs in acquiring a dog. Also, the agency didn’t have to drive to the United States to test out the animal.
Asked if Draco could pull a suspect from a vehicle, Amiot said all canines are trained to support high-risk vehicle stops. He noted that he will park his cruiser a short distance behind the suspect’s vehicle for safety and either he or another officer will use a bullhorn to command the person to exit.
Then, he will send out Draco — on a 100-foot line — to conduct a secondary search of the vehicle for more people, he continued. Based on training, the animal will check the front and back seats, and if necessary, pull someone out through a window or door.
“That’s awesome,” Commissioner Jamey Logan said.
Meanwhile, Amiot said that Draco is expected to replace his other partner, PSD Argo, because that animal has bulging disks in its back. The officer had hoped to keep Argo working until the spring, but because of rehabilitation and therapy, the animal can continue working until the end of the year.
Continuing, he said having two canine partners gives him “the luxury” to pick one for certain situations and where it’s best suited; Argo is an experienced eight-year-old German Shepherd, while Draco is “young (and) enthusiastic.”
Amiot added that he could train Draco for drug work, which would make him the first drug-focused canine the MJPS has had in more than 10 years.
The next police board meeting is Wednesday, Aug. 20.
