New police patrol dog team ready to ‘work hard, rest later’

Eight new police patrol dog teams graduated this week from the New Zealand Police Dog Training Centre in Trentham and one of them will be patrolling Gisborne streets.

Four police districts benefit from this newly graduated cohort — Northland, Auckland, Eastern and Waikato.

The Eastern District will have three new handlers and dogs from next week including Constable Alan Hogarth and Igar in Gisborne.

“All three officers have AOS (Armed Offenders Squad) experience and a combined total of 21 years police experience,” police said.

Constable Hogarth said he had put the effort in through training to reap the rewards later with his six-year-old workmate.

“My motto is ‘work hard, rest later’,” he said.

“Igar loves a swim and, like most dogs, enjoys playing with a toy.”

Const Hogarth said he had wanted to try out for the dog section since joining  the police in 2017.

He has trained to work on the AOS and will be working on the front line in Gisborne with Igar.

New Police Minister Mark Mitchell, who worked as a dog handler in Gisborne when he was a police officer, spoke at the graduation.

Police dogs national coordinator Inspector Todd Southall said the new teams had worked diligently in their districts and on all their formal courses to qualify as operational.

“These teams have worked very hard for this. They will be real assets in their districts and the communities they serve, and just in time for Christmas.”