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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Construction to begin on police canine-unit facility
Construction on the Winnipeg Police Service’s long-delayed new canine-unit facility is finally slated to begin, more than 18 months after city council approved $1.25 million in spending on kennels for animals and offices for staff.
Friday afternoon, Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz and police chief Keith McCaskill held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the facility at the East District police station on Dugald Road. The new canine-unit facility is intended to replace temporary shelters that have been criticized for failing to provide adequate shade for the working animals.
Council approved the funding in November 2010, using $1.15 million previously earmarked to purchase radio and dispatch equipment and another $100,000 from a rainy-day fund. A previous plan to build the unit was dropped due to East District police-station cost overruns.
When complete in 2013, the 4,500-square-foot facility will have 11 air-conditioned indoor kennels with attached dog runs, office space and a community classroom for demonstrations. The police have 12 canine teams in total, comprised of 12 officers and 23 dogs.
The unit also has a whelping kennel and indoor puppy run. The Winnipeg Police Service began breeding dogs in 1999. The breeding program is the only one of its kind, Katz said.
In October 2011, the police said the new facility would be open before the summer of 2012. Construction is now expected to wrap up Construction is now expected to wrap up by April 2013.
Most of the dogs are Belgian Malinois, along with some German shepherds and a Labrador retriever.
History
Updated on Friday, June 1, 2012 at 1:27 PM CDT: Adds details
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