Police dog does its business on private lawn, handler doesn’t pick it up

A Prince Albert resident doesn’t appear to have any hard feelings after a K9 officer with the city’s police service used his lawn as a bathroom.

The May 25 incident was captured by Prince Albert resident Matt Larson’s security camera, according to P.A. Now. The video shows the dog answering nature’s call — and his handler leaving without picking up the mess.

When reached via social media on Thursday, Larson said he felt the Prince Albert Police Service took the proper steps to address the situation.

“It was a very minor incident, which was meant to jokingly poke some fun at the local police, reminding them that we hold them to a high standard, and expect them to follow the law. Whether it is something small — and quite frankly hilarious like this situation — right up to the major laws,” Larson wrote in a Facebook message.

“I feel any added publicity would only unjustly embarrass an officer and the department as a whole,” he continued. “And aside from the odd minor incident I believe they do great work for the community.”

The Starphoenix reached out to the Prince Albert Police Service for comment, but a response was not immediately received.

Under Prince Albert municipal bylaws, if a cat or dog, other than a designated guide animal, defecates on any public or private property other than its owner’s property, the owner of the animal should “remove the defecation immediately.”

A police spokesperson told P.A. Now an apology was issued to the resident, noting the incident occurred during a live training simulation, and is not a reflection of the police service’s practices.