Right now, they are a bunch of cute, little fur balls but, one day, they will help Mounties with their crime-fighting duties.
They are 13 German shepherd puppies that have been or will be born at the RCMP Police Dog Service Training Centre (PDSTC) in Innisfail, Alta. this year.
And the RCMP wants Canadian children to choose the names for the pups in a contest, the rules of which are simple:
• Puppy names must begin with the letter “N” and have no more than two syllables and nine letters.
• Contestants must live in Canada and be four to 14 years old.
• Only one entry per child is allowed.
• And entries must be sent no later than March 25, 2020.
“We want children who live in our B.C. communities to take part and submit their favourite name, starting with the letter N,” said Cpl. Mike Jordan, a longtime dog handler, in a press release.
The 13 children whose names are selected will each receive a laminated 8x10-inch photo of the pup they named.
There are two ways to enter:
• online: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/depot/name-the-puppy-contest;
• mail, by sending a letter — print the child's name, address, telephone number and the suggested name for a puppy — to: Attn.: "Name the Puppy Contest, " Police Dog Service Training Centre, Box 6120, Innisfail, Alberta T4G 1S8.
If submitting by mail, children are invited to get creative with their entries — pictures and drawings are welcome.
Winning names will be chosen by the PDSTC staff and a draw will determine the winning entry in the event of multiple submissions of the same name.
Although there can be only 13 winners, names not selected for the contest will be considered for other puppies born during the year.
The puppies are born and bred in Canada at the Police Dog Service Training Centre at Depot Division in Alberta — home to the RCMP's national police dog training program. The centre has earned a great reputation for breeding top quality, working German shepherds and for training dogs with outstanding searching and tracking abilities.
The centre also buys, breeds and sells dogs but is currently not selling any because there is a long waiting list.
