On September 1, 2020, the Winnipeg Police Service K9 Unit proudly welcomed seven new puppies into its in-house breeding program. The puppies and mother, Police Service Dog (PSD) Ellie, are all doing well!
This is the first time a litter has been bred through the program using artificial insemination.
The process has allowed us to combine the highly sought-after traits of former PSD Judge and PSD Ellie to ensure the highest quality K9s are working alongside officers in the community's service. 
Nine years ago, samples from Judge were taken and frozen for breeding future litters. This K9 displayed highly sought-after traits, making him a suitable candidate for the breeding program.
During Judge’s 10-year career, he assisted in more than 500 arrests and sired over 45 puppies, six of which are currently working for the Winnipeg Police Service. Judge retired in 2014 and passed away in 2015.
In May 2019, the K9 Unit purchased Ellie from a breeder in Minnesota. She’s proven herself to be an excellent police service dog, making her the choice for carrying this litter.
In partnership with Dr. Erica Anseeuw and the team at the Stonewall Veterinary Hospital, Ellie was monitored in preparation for this procedure to pinpoint the crucial 12-hour window in which the frozen samples could be implanted to ensure success.
The insemination was successfully performed on July 3, 2020, ensuring Judge's legacy continues.
We are very thankful to all involved who ensured this was a success.
Each of these pups will be trained as police dogs for our Service and other agencies.
The Winnipeg Police Service in-house breeding program was established in 1999. It is one of the only breeding programs run by a municipal service in Canada. With the primary mandate of ensuring the best possible K9 candidates for Winnipeg, the program has also supplied K9s to police agencies as far away as Salt Lake City, Utah, Plymouth, Minnesota and police departments in western Canada.