Puppy power
A former pound pup from Porirua is one of 10 freshlyminted police dogs to earn their stripes as five patrol dogs and the same number of Aviation Security explosive detector dogs from across the country graduated from police training.
A former pound pup from Porirua is one of 10 freshly-minted police dogs to earn their stripes.
Five patrol dogs and the same number of Aviation Security explosive detector dogs from across the country graduated with their handlers at a ceremony at the New Zealand Police Dog Training Centre at Trentham in Upper Hutt on Thursday.
Among the graduates was Aviation Security explosive detector dog Chevy, a staffy-labrador cross, who was rescued from a pound in Porirua.
His handler, Sean Bennett, said plenty of people had commented on the Chevy’s feel-good story, and said it was great a dog like Chevy could go on to do such an important job.
‘‘A lot of people look at him, being a staffy-lab cross, and put him in a bracket.’’
Bennett and Chevy have been assigned to protect passengers at Wellington Airport.
While Chevy was one of two former pound dogs to graduate, Bennett said the days of stories like Chevy’s could be numbered as more explosive detector dogs were being selected from breeding stock.
National police dogs coordinator Inspector Todd Southall said he loved attending graduation ceremonies as they signified the coming together of 18 months of hard work from not only the handlers and their canines, but everyone involved including breeding programme staff, fosterers and instructors.
Patrol dogs held a unique and special place within the police, he said.
‘‘It’s not just about biting people.
‘‘It’s also the whole spectrum of what policing is about.
‘‘They are an important tool in working with the community, such as visiting schools.’’
Southall has been in the New Zealand Police Dog Section for 17 years and is a former handler.
Officers and their charges developed a special relationship during their training, which strengthened as they continued to work together, he said.
‘‘Handlers spend more time with their dogs than [they do with] their families.
‘‘They work and live together, they certainly rely on each other and have a strong bond,’’ Southall said.
Constable Cam Gunn graduated with his sixth dog – a black german shepherd called Ezro.
Gunn, who began his Police Dog Section career in Wellington but now works in Hawke’s Bay, said he loved working with dogs.
Each one had their own personality and little quirks a handler had to get used to, he said.