Puppies awaiting their names at the PDSTC. (Supplied/RCMP)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

MARCH 19 DEADLINE

Submissions open for RCMP’s Name the Puppy Contest

Feb 19, 2025 | 5:02 PM

The RCMP is pleased to announce the return of its annual “Name the Puppy Contest,” for the German shepherd puppies born at the Police Dog Service Training Centre (PDSTC) in Innisfail.

Each year, PDSTC asks children ages four to 14 from across Canada to send in names for the RCMP’s future police dogs. This year, participants are asked to send in names beginning with the letter “A.”

The contest is now open and will accept submissions until March 19.

Submissions can be made online; only one entry is allowed per person, and the name must be one or two syllables, with no more than nine letters.

RCMP say the contest is an opportunity to engage with the community and foster connections with the younger generation.

Kids from any part of Canada are encouraged to participate and send in creative names that reflect the important role the dogs will have in their careers.

Winners will be announced on April 17 on the RCMP website and social media platforms. There will be one winner from each province and territory, who will each receive a laminated 8×10-inch photo of the puppy they name, a plush dog named Justice and an RCMP water bottle.

“We are excited to involve kids across the country in this fun way. We cannot wait to see the amazing names that come in!” says Inspector Shawn Boutin, Program Manager at PDSTC.

Winners will be selected by the PDSTC staff and in the event of multiple submissions of the same name, a draw will be held. While there can only be 13 winners in this contest, names that did not get selected may be used for other puppies born during the year.

PDSTC is home to the RCMP national police dog training program and part of the RCMP Depot division. RCMP say the Centre has earned a positive reputation for breeding top quality working German shepherds and for training dogs with excellent searching and tracking abilities.