A new member has been added to the strength of the Estevan Police Service, a furry, tail-wagging, four-legged one. Imported from Europe to an esteemed breeder in California, he was selected from there to come and serve the Energy City.

However, he as of yet doesn't have a name, and that's not ideal for someone whose job is to keep the community safe.

That's where the public comes in, as any child up to the age of 12 will have the opportunity until the third week of April to provide ideas for a moniker for the creature.

"We want something that represents our police service and community well, so something that has some meaning, rather than something just pulled out of the hat, will be more likely to win," said Police Chief Paul Ladouceur.

"A committee will be formed within the police service, however the K9 handler, (Constable Paul Chabot), will have the final say. A name will be picked, and the person who submitted that name will win an iPad for themselves. If we select a name that is submitted as a whole by a class, they will win a pizza party for their classroom and a classroom iPad. If we get several submissions of the same name, those will go into a draw, and we will pull out a winner based on that."

"This is the community's dog, the community's K9 unit, and the community's police service, so it's fitting that the dog should be named by the community," he added.

Ladouceur described the roles that the dog will play when he is ready for active duty.

"This is a multi-purpose dog. He will be capable of drug detection, tracking evidence and people, and officer protection, so he will basically be a four pronged tool for the police." 

"Most importantly, this means better public relations, because every child loves this dog. It will also increase the community's and officer's safety, and I think that's a big component," he noted.

"We have a lot of people come and go from this community, and things can happen anywhere and any time. One of the biggest fundamentals of policing is being prepared for anything that may come our way, and this is just one other tool in the toolbox to do that."

It will be a little while before the handler and his partner will be ready for active service. First, they must go to Regina for four to four and a half months of handler-K9 training. Once that is complete, they will be ready to go.

"I think this is great news for the community," concluded Ladouceur.

 Those interested in submitting a name for the dog are asked to send an email with their suggestion and an explanation of their choice to namethek9@estevanpolice.ca