Canine teams ready to go following graduation
"Dogs with new jobs: Canine teams ready to go following graduation tomorrow at Upper Hutt"
New Zealand Police will
have five new qualified canine recruits, following
tomorrow’s ceremony at the NZ Police Dog Training Centre,
Trentham.
Graduating as operational teams at Trentham,
after months of hard work will be:
- Sergeant Warren Sangster and Abel, based in Gisborne
Sergeant Sangster is currently the Dog
Section Supervisor at Tairawhiti-Gisborne. This is his
third dog.
He has been in the police for 21 years and has
served in Hamilton Dog Section for five years, Taupo Dog
Section for 10 years and now 18 months in Gisborne.
Has
worked Patrol, Search and Rescue and Victim Recovery
Dogs.
- Senior Constable Tim Roy and Targa,
Dunedin
Targa is Constable Roy’s fifth
operational dog, and he’s been a handler for the last nine
years, seven years in Timaru and two years in Dunedin.
He
is also a qualified AOS dog-handler.
- Senior
Constable Tony Feasey and Primo, Auckland
Primo
is Senior Constable Feasey’s fifth dog.
Interestingly
all four of his previous dogs were named Max, but obviously
had to be renamed.
Senior Constable Feasey has had 18
years on dog-section and prior to becoming a handler Feasey
was a crewman on the Eagle helicopter.
-
Constable Stu Cann and Saba, Timaru
- New to the
dog section is Constable Stu Cann of Timaru, who is
graduating with first dog Saba. He has fostered three
police puppies, Mills, Oza and Nox.
Oza went on to win
the National Championships last year and became more famous
recently for donating blood to injured Police Dog, Kosmo
after he was stabbed.
“It’s great to finally be here
as a handler and see the other side of things, instead of a
fosterer.
It’s been a busy time, but we’re now looking forward to a week or so off to rest, before Saba and I get stuck into it,” Constable Cann says.
- Senior
Constable Grant Burrows and Haven, Auckland
This
is Senior Constable Burrow’s second dog. He’s been
working as a handler for two and a half years.
Also graduating will be five NZ Customs dog teams.