HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, N.L.
Police service dog Charlie is calling it a day after seven years with the RCMP.
For the past three years, Charlie and his partner, Cpl. Jason Muzzerall, have been posted in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
Charlie is a third generation RCMP purebred German Sheppard from the RCMP breeding program and was trained to track and search for people, drugs, firearms and other evidence in police investigations.
Charlie was the first service dog for Muzzerall and the pair has worked together since the former was seven weeks old.
They both finished training in December 2011 and were officially posted in Thompson, Man.
Muzzerall’s first call out with Charlie was a memorable one.
“It was our first call, first track and first catch,” Muzzerall said in a Nov. 28 news release from the RCMP.
“We had to travel behind a ski-doo in a toboggan to a cabin, track the suspect in the snow for about 2.5 km before locating him hiding in the woods. After we hiked back with the suspect in custody we rode back in the sled. I was laying down and Charlie was laying on top of me.
“I remember thinking this was awesome as the orthern lights blazed across the sky as we rode in the sled back to our truck. That was my very first night with Charlie in Thompson and it was a sign of things to come.”
Charlie is staying with Muzzerall in his retirement.
A lunchtime celebration was held in honour of Charlie at the RCMP’s Happy Valley-Goose Bay detachment today, Thursday, Nov. 29.