Metro Vancouver Transit Police says its explosive detection dogs Harnett and Chopper placed first and second at the 2026 Canadian Police Canine Association championships in Saskatoon.
The Story
Two explosive detection teams from Metro Vancouver Transit Police (MVTP) placed first and second at a national police canine competition this month in Saskatoon.
MVTP reported that Police Service Dog (PSD) Harnett and handler Cst. Lisa Mackay won first place in the Explosive Detection Dog division at the 2026 Canadian Police Canine Association (CPCA) Canadian Police Service Dog Championships. The event ran from Sept. 9 to Sept. 13.
MVTP said PSD Harnett is a five-year-old German shorthaired pointer. It also said the second-place team was PSD Chopper with handler Cst. Shawn Basi.
Police said the championships brought together 40 teams from across Canada to compete in challenges designed to test canine skills, accuracy and teamwork.
MVTP said its transit police canine unit includes seven explosive detection dogs trained to detect odours associated with explosives, including when those odours are concealed.
According to transit police, the dogs help identify potential explosive threats in public places, in vehicles and at transit facilities, where rapid detection can support operational decisions.
MVTP also stated that its explosive detection dogs are certified in Canada to detect body-worn explosive carried by an individual in a crowded environment.
Sgt. Gord McGuinness said the top-two results reflect training and commitment from both handlers and dogs, crediting the canine unit and its program standards for the outcome.
Transit police added that Harnett was named in honour of Calgary police Sgt. Andrew Harnett, who was killed in the line of duty on Dec. 31, 2020. It said Chopper was named after Abbotsford police Const. Ryan “Chopper” Marsales, who died in March 2020 after a battle with a stage-four brain tumour.
← More stories