Just Paw-fect - new police puppies put through their paces

• WA Police Force explore opportunities to develop a search and rescue dog capability
• McGowan Government invests in new Police Canine facilities

Police Minister Paul Papalia today introduced the newest puppies to try out for a role in the WA Police Force Canine Unit.

The puppies, which are all 6-8 weeks old, will undergo a rigorous assessment program to determine if they have the appropriate attributes and traits to make it as a police dog.

Should they be deemed suitable they will progress to the development stage before being allocated to a handler for further training.

Four of the puppies are Belgian Malinois, earmarked for a dual purpose role - where they are trained as both general purpose and narcotic detection dogs.

One of the puppies is a Jagdterrier and is being assessed for suitability for a possible search and rescue role.

The State Government recently funded a $685,880 upgrade of the Canine Holding Yards at the Maylands Police Complex, including eight new purpose built kennels.

Comments attributed to Police Minister Paul Papalia:

"Our police dogs are a fantastic asset in the fight against crime.

"These puppies may look adorable right now, but they'll be trained for a life fighting crime.

"Whether it be sniffing out meth and other narcotics or tracking and apprehending violent offenders, they play a crucial role in police operations around the State."

Minister's office - 6552 5600