The RCMP are looking for some help in naming puppies that will become Canada’s future RCMP police dogs.
The Police Dog Service Training Centre in Innisfail, Alberta, is asking young Canadians to suggest names for 13 German Shepherd puppies that will be born at the centre in 2016. Children are encouraged to be original and imaginative in finding names that will serve these puppies well in their careers with Canada’s national police force. When thinking of names, it is important to keep in mind that these are working police dogs, not pets.
The 13 children whose names are selected will each receive a laminated 8×10-inch photo of the pup they name, a plush dog named Justice and an RCMP cap.
“The Name the Puppy Contest is an exciting time for everyone at PDSTC. I am certainly looking forward to seeing all the creative contest entries from across Canada,” said Inspector Akrum Ghadban, the officer in charge of the training centre.
Contest rules are simple:
- Contestants can suggest only one name (one entry per person).
- The name may be for a male or a female pup.
- The name must start with the letter “J”.
- The name must have no more than nine (9) letters.
- The name must be one or two syllables.
- Contestants must live in Canada and be 14 years old or younger.
There are two ways to enter the contest, either online at www.rcmp-grc.ca/depot/pdstc-cdcp/name-the-puppy-nomme-le-chiot-eng.htm or by mail.
Be sure to print the child’s name, age, address, telephone number and the suggested name for a puppy. Mailed-in entries can be sent to
Attn: "Name the Puppy Contest"
Police Dog Service Training Centre
Box 6120
Innisfail, AB T4G 1S8
If submitting by mail, children are invited to get creative with their entries and include a drawing or painting. Although there can be only 13 winners, names not selected for the contest will be considered for other puppies born during the year. Winning names will be chosen by the training centre staff and a draw will determine the winning entry in the event of multiple submissions of the same puppy name.
The Police Dog Service Training Centre is home to the RCMP national police dog training program and has earned a great reputation for breeding top quality working German Shepherds and for training dogs with outstanding searching and tracking abilities.
The deadline for entries is March 22, 2016. Contest winners and prizes will be announced on April 26, 2016.