'Extensive training': Calgary police respond to incident involving police service dog
City police say they are staying in contact with a woman who was inadvertently bitten by a police dog during an incident at the Calgary Zoo Saturday.
Police were called to respond to a robbery at an ACE Liquor store, located at 3525 26 Ave. S.E. at approximately 12:30 p.m. on June 19.
The suspects had fled prior to CPS arriving at the scene, officials say, but the Chestermere RCMP notified CPS about a stolen truck heading back towards Calgary. It was believed that it was connected to the previous incident, so HAWCS tracked its movements.
Police say the suspect vehicle drove towards Airdrie for a short period before finally turning back towards the city of Calgary.
Once the suspects stopped the truck in the parking lot of the Calgary Zoo and attempted to flee on foot, that's when two CPS police dogs were deployed to assist in the arrest of the five fleeing suspects.
"One dog was successful in an immediate apprehension. In the process of chasing one of the suspects, the other dog contacted a bystander leading to a bite injury," police said in a release. "The CPS canine unit handler immediately went to the aid of the bystander and waited with them while they were treated by EMS and later transported to hospital for treatment for their injuries."
All five suspects were ultimately arrested and taken into custody. One of them, a male in his late 30s, suffering injuries associated with a dog bite.
Officials say the injured bystander is being given access to supports and resources to assist in their recovery.
"Our PSDs and their handlers undergo extensive training in how to appropriately respond to complex situations to ensure public safety, especially during high-risk calls."
SITUATION OF 'TRIGGER STACKING'
An animal expert who has experience in canine behaviour and psychology says it is highly unlikely that the police dog involved in the incident had any aggression or other issues.
It is more likely to be the result of something called "trigger stacking."
"So there can be multiple triggers, multiple situations in the environment that you could have one situation where the dog is okay with this and then something else happens and all of a sudden these hormones start to rise with dogs. It's the same with human beings," says Kristen Rose, certified canine behaviour consultant with Canine Minds & Manners.
"Maybe you could deal with backing up in traffic for a normal day, but if you’ve had several other things go wrong, suddenly you’re angry in backed up traffic. Or maybe you make poor decisions based on what else has happened during the day?"
She says police animals, just like their handlers and other officers, are placed in stressful situations on a regular basis, so it's unwise and even unfair to jump to conclusions and place blame.
"It was just a mistaken identity – that happens with the actual police, the human police, where they overreact according to the public but the public wasn’t in that situation either," Rose said.
"I think it's not a great idea to start judging and pointing fingers. Stand back, take a deep breath and let the police service do what they do. They are also trained handlers and experts."
(Postmedia/Gavin Young)
NO BEHAVIOUR IS 100 PER CENT
Rose says more training could always help in situations, especially when it comes to police dogs, but animal behaviour can never be guaranteed.
"At the end of the day no behaviour is ever going to be 100 per cent," she said.
"You’re never going to be able to guarantee because behaviour is fluid, not static so things in the environment are always going to impact the emotion, which is then going to impact the behaviour."
(With files from Mark Villani)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.