NAME THE PUPPY CONTEST 2008

RCMP
NAME THE PUPPY CONTEST

Canada's national police force invites all young people from across Canada to name ten German shepherd puppies born at the Police Dog Service Training Centre (PDSTC) in Innisfail, Alberta.

The deadline for entries is February 25, 2008. Winning names will be chosen by the PDSTC staff. Contest winners and prizes will be announced on April 2, 2008. A draw will determine the winning entry in the event of multiple submissions of the same name.

"In 2007, we received over 5 000 entries from boys and girls nationwide", said Inspector Lawrence Aimoe, the officer in charge of the Centre. "This contest provides a tremendous opportunity for Canadian children to take part in a police program that saves lives and protects their neighborhood. "

Young people are encouraged to be original and imaginative in finding names that will serve these puppies well in their career with Canada's national police force. When thinking of names, it is important to keep in mind that these are working police dogs, not pets.

Contest rules are simple:

• Contestants can suggest only one name (one entry per person). The name may be for a male or a female pup.
• The name must start with the letter "A".
• The name must have no more than nine letters.
• The name must be one or two syllables.
• Contestants must be 16 years old or under.

To enter, contestants must print their name, age, address, telephone number and the suggested name for a puppy on a postcard and mail it to:

Attn: "Name the Puppy Contest"
Police Dog Service Training Centre
Box 6120
Innisfail AB T4G 1S8

The RCMP will accept more than one entry per household provided that each participant submit one name per postcard.

For school entries, individual student entries can be combined in one large envelope marked "School Entry". Each submission must be on an individual sheet of paper. Based on their creativity, three school classrooms will be selected to receive a special presentation by a dog handler in their region.

Although there can be only ten winners, names not selected for the contest will be considered for other puppies born during the year.

The PDSTC is home to the RCMP national police dog training program and is a proud member of "Depot" Division. As a result of the Centre's breeding program, there are more than 70 RCMP-breeding-program dogs within the force, as well as within other partner agencies. An additional 70 dogs are in service throughout North America and around the world.