The Regina Police Service would like to remind the media and the public of the free, public day at the Canadian Police Canine Association (CPCA) Championships being held in Regina. Public Day is Sunday, September 9th at the Co-operators Centre at Evraz Place from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Those attending will have opportunity to see police canine teams from across Canada compete in three events: obedience, agility and a criminal apprehension scenario. The day may also include other demonstrations by canine teams which specialize in narcotics or explosives detection. There are also some “just-for-fun” events like a “fastest dog” competition. This year, the 30 competitors from across Canada will be joined by a police canine team from Belgium.
The Canadian Police Canine Association (CPCA) Championships are hosted by different police agencies from year to year. Regina last hosted this event in 2004; Prince Albert hosted in 2010 and next year’s CPCA trials will be held in Saanich, B.C. The trials are not used as a certification or validation for the participating teams; all dogs competing at this competition have already been certified by their own agencies. The CPCA Championships are organized for the positive spin-offs of friendly competition, and networking between dog handlers and their respective agencies. Typically the trials consist of two or three days of competition, seminars and a public day.
The Canadian Police Canine Association (CPCA) is a national organization made up of active, and past, police dog handlers. The CPCA is not directly associated to any one particular police agency but spans the country and includes members from other police agencies, worldwide.
For the media: the organizers have suggested that 2:00 p.m., Sunday, September 9, 2012, is the optimum time to obtain interviews with competitors. Those who are willing to be interviewed will make themselves available at that time.