Dawe dubs new police dog ‘Mika’

By Chris Lewis | Vol. 32 No. 13 (June 12 2019)

A six-year-old student from Kelligrews got the chance to name a puppy who will help serve the RCMP one day.

The 2019 national “Name the Puppy” contest sees students from across the country suggest names they think best suit a puppy that will go through the RCMP’s training program to hopefully become one of the nation’s police dogs.

Alyssa Dawe, a student attending Admiral’s Academy, was picked as the winner this year. Her submission saw the puppy named Mika – a name inspired by her older sister, Ella’s close friend, who shares the same name.
To celebrate her winning submission, Dawe and her classmates were treated to a visit from RCMP Assistant Commissioner Ches Parsons, the Commanding Officer in the province, who presented her with a photo of Mika as well as a stuffed dog.

Mika is currently in training and could not be present to greet the students. Depending on how successful she is during her training, the puppy could go on to become a full-fledged member of the RCMP’s Police Dog services.
Staff Sergeant Bill Frisby and his K9 partner Grinch also paid the school a visit that day, giving the students the chance to meet a seasoned police dog, all while asking Frisby and Parsons any questions they had about their jobs.