Original Article

Moose Jaw’s council chambers at City Hall were filled with the sound of barking dogs on Tuesday.


No it wasn’t a raucous council meeting but a special graduation service for the Moose Jaw Police Service’s new K-9 unit.


Dogs Banan and Andy and their trainers Const. Chad Scheske and Const. Jay Sills received two certificates each for police canine drug detection and police service dog- general duties during a meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners.


Training with the dogs began back in September and the unit has been in operation for about two weeks.


Already they have been a great asset to the police service, Sills told the Times-Herald after the graduation.


He and Andy got called out after three days in operation and were able to apprehend two suspects from a break and enter.


“We also found some weapons that were used in a robbery,” he said.
He said both times the dog has behaved exactly as he is supposed to.
Sills said the K-9 unit tends to work in the evenings and nights when they are most needed.


“We back our patrol units to make sure a scene is safe for them so if a building has been broken into or a home, we use the dogs to clear the building first.


“We have used the dogs on a few searches of vehicles to search for drugs.
“We have been there for apprehending people on outstanding warrants to make sure nothing goes bad.
“It is just another tool for us to use,” he said.