Bronze sculpture, hundreds of engraved stones honour past four-legged members of WPS canine unit
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The Winnipeg Police Service unveiled a memorial Wednesday to dogs that have served in its canine unit.
California artist Susan Bahary created the bronze sculpture, titled Forever Faithful. It is located beside the canine unit building at 77 Durand Rd., on the grounds of the police service’s east district station.
The memorial is intended as a tribute to the nearly 80 dogs who have worked with city police since the unit’s inception in 1971.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Two-year-old Eva Reinus and her grandmother Judy Tyndall check out the new memorial outside of the canine unit kennels on Durand Street on Wednesday.
“These dogs were not just part of our team, they were our protectors, our companions and our family,” WPS Chief Gene Bowers said at an event unveiling the memorial.
“They stood beside their handlers without hesitation, facing danger head-on to keep Winnipeg safe… these partners have searched for the lost, tracked the dangerous and protected officers in the moments when lives were on the line.”
Four granite pillars are engraved with the dogs’ names, badge numbers and years of service. There is space for future engravings.
Each name on the columns represents service and sacrifice, Bowers said.
A pathway of 436 engraved stones, donated by citizens and corporate partners, leads to the memorial. Each stone bears a personal message.
Construction began during the summer. The memorial was conceptualized in 2016.
WPS Insp. Eric Luke, who commands the specialty units division, including the dog unit, told the crowd at the unveiling that he was a dog handler earlier in his career.
He said the partnership between handlers and their dogs is a bond “unlike any other.”
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
Const. Dave Weisz, a former handler, unveils a bronze statue for the new canine unit memorial.
“From the first day of training to the last day of service, each canine gives all of their heart, their full devotion and, ultimately, their entire life to the handler and the citizens of Winnipeg,” said Luke.
Patrol Sgt. Justin Casavant, who spearheaded the creation of the memorial, said the garden shows that the dogs mattered.
The memorial was paid for via public donations and several fundraising efforts, including the sale of calendars, stuffed toy police dogs, perogy sales and the memorial stones, said Casavant.
fpcity@freepress.mb.ca