Greater Sudbury Police said they are “pawsitively” thrilled to introduce the police service’s newest member — police dog Royal, a.k.a. Roy.
Royal is on duty along with Const. Chris Vitali after completing the 16-week dual purpose patrol and detector course with the Halton Regional Police Service.
Vitali was hired in 2008 and spent the last seven years as a member of the GSPS Emergency Response Unit.
Royal was born on Nov. 1, 2020 in Slovakia before being transported to the United States, where he was hand-selected by a group of K9 trainers. Roy loves long tracks in the bush, howling under the stars and his ball.
During the K9 course, Vitali and Royal trained in obedience and control, tracking, area searches, building searches, evidence searches, suspect and missing person searches, suspect apprehensions, detection of drugs, firearms and ammunition and assisting specialized units during high-risk situations.
Last Thursday, Vitali and Royal were involved in their first operational deployment, where Roy was an integral part of locating and apprehending the man believed to be responsible for a Lorne Street convenience store robbery.
“We are excited to add this very good boy Roy to our team and we look forward to watching this pair grow their bond as they protect and serve our community,” said a social media post from the police service.
