Canine coverage on mail carriers, heroic actions, and puppy naming contests
By Jessica Berget, Editor-in-Chief
This past month has been one for the dogs. No, really.
Animals are a terrific source of comfort for many in these stressful times. For the past couple of weeks, stories about dogs have been circulating popular news sources. To keep the spirit of positive, non-COVID related news ongoing, here are some news stories revolving around some cool canines this week.
Just when you thought dogs hating mail people was an overused cliché, Canada Post asked patrons to keep their dogs inside or on leash while deliveries are being made because employees are getting bit or injured on the job. This April 20 announcement comes in lieu the fact that people are home more often because of quarantine and warmer weather. Though Canada Post deals with thousands of furry friends each year, some of them do not end with tails wagging. About 500 workers are bit each year, and 150 workers are injured with stitches resulting from these interactions, according to Canada Post. Some even change their route, are afraid to go back to work, or go through some symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), according to CBC.
One very good boy was responsible for finding a missing three-year-old girl in the cold forest of Halifax, Nova Scotia. On April 29, Constable Dan Berube and his keen canine unitâJynxâwere training other police dogs when they got a call about a missing child who had wandered into the woods by her home. Berube says they were searching the thick brush, branches, and mud of the forest when Berube thought no human could come through this thick forest. Thatâs when Jynx picked up a scent. Berube called for another RCMP officer to respond, and then he heard a soft âhelloâ coming from the bushes.
âI thrashed harder and my dog led me to where she wasâand here she was in the middle of absolutely nowhere, a whole bunch of pine brush around her and she was just standing there,â Berube said in an interview with CBC. âThe first thing she said was âdoggy.â I just hugged her.â Jynx the service canine was of course given a treat for a job well done. âJust another day at work for him,â Berube said.
According to Global News, a bakerâs dozen of the RCMPâs newest puppies have had their names decided as part of a âname the puppyâ contest. The winning namesâall starting with the letter âN,â as per the contest guidelinesâwill be given to the first 13 pups born this year at the Police Dog Services Training Centre (PDSTC). The names are as follows: Nanuq, Narco, Narley, Neeka, Nelly, Nero, Newman, Nina, Nixon, Niya, Noah, Nova, and Nytro. The RCMP says their canine units are a vital part of policing and deals with things like finding missing persons, drug sniffing, tracking down criminals, and sometimes even bomb sniffing. All German Shepard dogs in Canada working as RCMP service were born from the police dog training centre in Innisfail, Alberta.
