The newest trainees at the RCMP's Police Dog Service Training Centre in Innisfail (Photo: RCMP)

By Shaun Penner

Name the Puppy 2020

RCMP looking for help naming new pups at training facility

Feb 13, 2020 | 11:56 AM

The RCMP’s Police Dog Service Training Centre in Innisfail is in need of suggestions to name its newest batch of crime fighting pups.

The 2020 “Name the Puppy” contest is now accepting submissions from kids aged 4-14, with the top 13 being selected for some of this year’s first litter of German Shepherds to be born at the facility.

The contest has been going since 2001, with each litter being given names that start with the same letter, in an annually rotating fashion. This year, the names must all start with “N”.

The winning names will include one submission from each province and territory in Canada. As Corporal Bill Taylor says, though, they’ll need more than just the 13 selected to help names this year’s new “recruits”

“We have about 100 live births a year to get the 30-35 dogs we need for training,” said Taylor. “We still need to name 100 puppies a year, so there is still a possibility that their name will be used.”

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

Other criteria the names must meet to be accepted include:

• Being no longer than nine letters
• They must be one or two syllables
• The contestant must live in Canada
• Only one entry per child

Taylor adds that since the first pups were named on July 30, 2001 through this initiative, the popularity has boomed across the country. Last year alone, they had to sift through over 30,000 entries.

“It shows you how big this is and how many names we have to go through,” Taylor chuckled.

He adds it is a great way for the RCMP to be positively engaged with the youth in Canada.

“It gets the kids involved all over the country,” said Taylor. “When they’re here at the training centre, we do (demonstrations) every Wednesday from May until September. So, there is a chance that when they’re here they may see a puppy that they’ve named.”

“It just gets good community involvement.”

Entries are being accepted until March 25, with the winners being announced on April 29 on the RCMP’s website and social media.

The winning entries will receive an 8×10” photo of the pup they named, as well as a plush dog named Justice and an RCMP water bottle.

Kids aged 4-14 in Grande Prairie, Alberta and Canada have a chance to names pups just like these two through the initiative (Photo: RCMP)

Entries can be submitted online, or by mail to:

Attn: “Name the Puppy Contest”
Police Dog Service Training Centre
Box 6120
Innisfail, AB T4G 1S8

Mail entries must include the child’s name, address and phone number and the suggested name for a puppy. The RCMP also ask that the child have their parents’ consent before submitting their personal information.