Police Minister Paul Papalia today introduced the newest puppies to try out for a role in the WA Police Force Canine Unit.
The puppies, which are all 6-8 weeks old, will undergo a rigorous assessment program to determine if they have the appropriate attributes and traits to make it as a police dog.
Should they be deemed suitable they will progress to the development stage before being allocated to a handler for further training.
Four of the puppies are Belgian Malinois, earmarked for a dual purpose role – where they are trained as both general purpose and narcotic detection dogs.
One of the puppies is a Jagdterrier and is being assessed for suitability for a possible search and rescue role.
The State Government recently funded a $685,880 upgrade of the Canine Holding Yards at the Maylands Police Complex, including eight new purpose built kennels.
As stated by Police Minister Paul Papalia:
“Our police dogs are a fantastic asset in the fight against crime.
“These puppies may look adorable right now, but they’ll be trained for a life fighting crime.
“Whether it be sniffing out meth and other narcotics or tracking and apprehending violent offenders, they play a crucial role in police operations around the State.”
