The Halton Regional Police Service introduced its Canine Unit in 1990 with one dog and one handler. Since then, the Unit has grown to include four specially-trained handlers, each of whom is assigned to one of the Service's general purpose patrol dogs.

Click here to learn more about each dog on the team.

• Searching for suspects
• Searching buildings, insecure premises or forcibly entered premises in which an intruder can easily hide (such as office complexes, retail malls, schools and factories)
• Determining the direction of travel of fleeing suspects
• Locating property hidden or dropped by suspects
• Conducting searches for trapped, lost or missing persons
• Providing an alternative use of force option during high-risk arrests
• Patrolling areas where the presence of the Canine Unit may act as a deterrent to criminal activity
• Educating members of the public about the role of the Canine Unit (in conjunction with the Public Affairs Unit)