Winnipeg, MB - Today, Mayor Sam Katz and Chief Devon Clunis opened the doors to the new, state-of-the-art home of the Winnipeg Police Service Canine Unit.
The new 4,500 square foot, high-security kennel facility is located at 77 Durand Road, adjacent to the East District Police Station.
In addition to 11 air-conditioned indoor kennels and attached dog runs, the building features a large community classroom and common area for public demonstrations and office space for the officers in the unit.
The new facility also features a whelping kennel and indoor puppy run as part of the Winnipeg Police Service’s nationally recognized in-house breeding program - one of the only programs of its kind in Canada, which began in 1999.
“The Winnipeg Police Service’s Canine Unit attends over 7,000 calls for service annually and does a tremendous job of helping to keep our citizens safe,” said Mayor Sam Katz. “We are thrilled to finally have a permanent and much-deserved facility to serve as home base for this hard-working, specialized unit.”
“The Canine Unit is an integral part of the Winnipeg Police Service’s multi-pronged strategy to support Uniform Operations in apprehending fleeing offenders, reducing overall crime and making the community safer for our citizen’s,” said Winnipeg Police Service Chief Devon Clunis. “With the opening of this new facility, the Police Service, the City, and its citizens have enhanced their support of the Canine Unit. Our dog breeding program, supported by the whelping rooms in this new facility, will help ensure even greater success in the future for the Winnipeg Police Service Canine unit.”
The Winnipeg Police Service Canine Unit provides essential support to operational units in the search for fleeing suspects and is called upon to search buildings, locate evidence and find missing persons.
The unit is part of the Winnipeg Police Service Operational Support Division and has grown to twelve canine teams - 12 uniform officers and 23 canines - offering 24-hour coverage, seven days a week to protect the safety of citizens in Winnipeg.
With narcotic detector dogs, explosive detector dogs, tactical support dogs and several dogs cross-trained in multiple disciplines, each canine team is extensively trained for a particular objective prior to deployment.