Chatham-Kent's top dog is retiring.
Arry, the Chatham-Kent Police Service's canine, is working his last few months and is expected to hang it up in about a year. Chatham-Kent police said a new canine unit is being trained this year and should be ready to go in about 18 months.
Arry is used to track and arrest suspects and is qualified to search for drugs and firearms. Arry won first place in agility and searching at the U.S. Police Canine Association regionals and dog trials in late 2017 and placed third overall at the competition. Earlier that year, Arry won the top spot in tracking. Chief Gary Conn said at the time that Arry’s handler and trainer, Constable Rick Bertok, deserved a lot of credit for Arry’s success.
Arry is a Belgian Malinois from Slovenia and is particularly gifted in drug detection. The Belgian Malinois breed was chosen for its physical ability, strength and intelligence. A strong temperament is also very important as the police dog is expected to perform in stressful situations. Arry is used to provide containment and to assist the Critical Incident Response Team.
The handler is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All handlers must complete an extensive 15-week course where the handler and dog learn as a team.
After Arry retires, he will either live at home with his handler as a family pet or he will find a new home.
Constable Mike VanKesteren will be the new handler with a new yet-to-be-unveiled canine officer next year.