Patrol Division

Canine Section

The Canine Section of Miramichi Police Force consists of two expert dog handlers and two canine German Shepherds who were obtained and trained through the Ontario Provincial Police.

The German Shepherd breed is the preferred canine for this type of work.  They are strong, robust, courageous, and able to work under extreme hot or cold conditions.  Their versatility enables the Canine teams to fulfill a variety of needs such as tracking or searching for people, locating illegal substances, and detecting explosives.  These working capabilities associated with their hardiness, loyalty, and psychological effort provide the qualities desired for a Police Canine.

Canine Al		Canine Koala

Canine Al

Canine Al

Al, a male German Shepherd, was born in August 1997. He was obtained by the Ontario Provincial Police from a breeder in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Miramichi Police Force obtained and trained Al through the Ontario Provincial Police and he and his partner were put into service in the fall of 1999.

	Canine Al and his Trainer, Constable Hicks

Al weighs approximately 77 pounds and is two-tone brown in colour.

Al is trained as a general purpose service dog and a drug detector dog making him a valuable asset in searching for various types of drugs.

Canine Koala

Canine Koala

Koala, a female German Shepherd, was born in February 1997. She was obtained from a breeder in Brantford, Ontario.

Miramichi Police Force obtained and trained Koala through the Ontario Provincial Police. She and her partner were put into service in late summer of 2000.

	Canine Koala and her Trainer, Constable Grant

Koala is a black, shorthaired Shepherd. She weighs approximately 67 pounds.

Koala is trained as a general purpose service dog and as an Explosives/Firearms detector dog.