YOUNG CANADIANS HELP NAME FUTURE POLICE DOGS IN RCMP’s 2025 NAME THE PUPPY CONTEST
Source: West Central (Extract)
Posted: April 19, 2025
Thirteen children from across Canada are celebrating after being selected as winners of the RCMP’s 2025 Name the Puppy contest.
The annual event invites kids aged 4 to 14 to submit name suggestions for the first puppies born each year at the RCMP’s Police Dog Services Training Centre (PDSTC) in Innisfail, Alta. All names submitted this year had to begin with the letter “A.”
The RCMP says more than 10,000 entries poured in from coast to coast to coast between Feb. 19 and March 19.
This year’s winning names and their young creators are:
- Ace– Maxime Bellencourt (Yukon)
- Argo– Rachael Marche (Newfoundland and Labrador)
- Arctic– Emmett Campbell (Prince Edward Island)
- Anouk– Madison Zamrykut (Manitoba)
- Action– Chance Jerome (Alberta)
- Agent– Samuel Bailey (Quebec)
- Atim– Brianne Bell (Saskatchewan)
- Ash– Quentin Qammaniq (Nunavut)
- August– Nora Boken (Northwest Territories)
- Anchor– Elisa Zirtilides (British Columbia)
- Alfie– Duncan Hansford (Nova Scotia)
- Adler– Denny Dewar (Ontario)
- Addy– Paisley Leger (New Brunswick)
Each winner will receive a laminated photo of the puppy they named, a Justice plush toy, and an RCMP water bottle.
“Choosing names for our future Police Service Dogs is a very important role,” said Insp. Shawn Boutin, Officer in Charge of RCMP Police Dog Services. “We are thrilled to have kids from across the country help us with this and it is always a highlight to see the submissions start pouring in.”
The RCMP says even names not selected as contest winners may still be used for other puppies born this year.
The German shepherd pups are part of the RCMP’s Police Dog Breeding Program and are raised and trained at the PDSTC before going on to careers supporting police operations across Canada. RCMP dog teams play key roles in locating missing people, tracking suspects, and detecting drugs and explosives.
Next year’s contest will challenge young Canadians to submit names starting with the letter “B.”
Three public demonstrations are also scheduled at the PDSTC this year. More details are available at rcmp.ca.