Alberta RCMP K9’s Trained Using Actual Human Tissue

This week Kevin Maimann reported that the first Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) cadaver dog teams trained using actual human tissue have completed their training program in Innisfail, Alberta. Together with the help of a Medical Examiner Service Director Sean Margueratt in Nova Scotia, families were asked for consent to use the remains of loved ones who died unexpectedly. So far, the families who have participated have been supportive and received updates on the training. Without their generous support, this training simply would not be possible.

Up until now, RCMP canine teams have sometimes been able to find human remains, without formal training. The teams in this story are just the first of 166 RCMP teams across Canada who will train to search for actual human remains, by learning to recognize the scent of decomposition of tissues such as bones, lungs, and livers. Once the target scent is recognized, K9’s learn to search in more realistic environments such as in trees, buried underground and simulated disaster zones.

Read the full story and see photos of these dogs in action at:
http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmonton/2017/11/07/incredible-unused-tool-rcmp-officers-train-dogs-to-detect-human-remains.html (Kevin Maimann, Metro Calgary, published Nov. 7, 2017)