The Ministry of Environment recently said goodbye to a trusted co-worker, as Conservation Officer Service Dog Jaks retired in April, after an eight-year career with the ministry.
Conservation Officer Cpl. Jamie Chartrand, the ministry’s K9 handler for the past 14 years, noted that the 10-year old Belgium Malinois assisted officers in hundreds of investigations.
He located countless pieces of evidence for the ministry and other law enforcement agencies which led to numerous criminal convictions, and resulted in fines totalling tens of thousands of dollars.
“One of his favorite parts of the job was tracking,” Chartrand said. “Jaks tracked down numerous criminals during his career. This is often the most dangerous part of the job.”
Jaks and Cpl. Chartrand have helped educate the public on the wise use of our natural resources at different community events, park presentations and school visits. Jaks has also shown off his skills in numerous competitions.
During his years with the ministry, Jaks achieved a number of national awards in the Canadian Police Canine Championships in Alberta, including fourth and second place finishes in the prestigious top dog category.
Although Jaks has retired, he is still eager to go to work each day and has been adopted by Officer Chartrand. In mid-May, the ministry’s K9 unit welcomed a young female German Shepherd service dog named Tai into the fold.
Tai has completed her training and will definitely have some pretty big paws to fill.
