New RCMP dog starts work on P.E.I.

She's just a little over two years old, but P.E.I.'s newest police officer has started work.

Jule just came to the Island from the RCMP Police Dog Service Training Centre in Innisfail, Alta. She was accompanied by her trainer Cpl. Marc Periard, who has been a dog handler for the RCMP since 1997.

"Her desire to work is very impressive," said Periardin an RCMPnews release.

"She's fast, alert and very aware of her surroundings and I'm confident in Jule's abilities as she matures and becomes more familiar with police work in her new role."

Jule is Periard's fifth dog for the RCMP. His last partner, Dutch, recently retired on P.E.I.

But having Jule as his partner keeps him young, he said especially as this might be his last dog before he retires.

"I've got 30-years service, I did my share. I still enjoy it, I'm still able to do the job but there comes a time when you're going to have to, like everybody else, retire and move on," he told CBCNews.

"It's a great, great job. It's very rewarding and the fact that she's very young, it brings me back to when I was young."

Jule has completed training in basic obedience, agility and criminal apprehension. Her full training will include tracking criminals, searching for missing or lost people, searching for narcotics, locating physical evidence at or near crime scenes, and assisting officers on patrol during high-risk take-downs.

She is now on full duty covering all three RCMP districts, and is available to assist municipal forces when needed.

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With files from Cody MacKay