Riley joins Gatineau’s canine ranks
The Gatineau Police have expanded their canine capability with Riley, a two-year-old female German Shepherd partnered with Constable Gabriel Pouliot. The pair has been on active duty since May 28 and has already participated in about 20 operations, according to the service. Riley now works alongside Prima, reinforcing a unit that the force says has supported investigations and emergency responses for more than 20 years.
Police say the team is being deployed across a range of calls, from locating missing people to assisting with suspect apprehensions. The addition of a second operational dog restores redundancy to the unit after Gunner retired in October 2022 following six years of service. With Riley on board, the force expects improved coverage during simultaneous incidents and specialized searches.
“It’s a privilege to do the job I’m passionate about with my canine partner,” Const. Pouliot said, noting months of perseverance to prepare Riley for the unit’s duties and the strong bond forged through training.
What Riley and Prima do
- Search and rescue: Find missing persons or people hiding or fleeing.
- Evidence work: Locate objects and evidence at crime scenes and in missing-person cases.
- Detection: Assist in identifying drugs and firearms.
- Apprehension support: Help officers safely detain suspects when required.
Beyond their initial training with an expert, Riley will continue regular exercises with her handler to maintain readiness. That ongoing work takes place in varied settings to mirror real-world conditions. Residents may notice training sessions in residential and industrial areas even when no crime is in progress, the service said.
Public cooperation and training locations
The police service is urging the public to give working dogs space. Anyone who encounters Riley or Prima while they are on duty is asked not to approach or distract the animals, to avoid disrupting active operations or training drills. The force is also appealing to property owners for help strengthening the program’s realism and safety.
Specifically, Gatineau Police are looking for unoccupied industrial buildings—including properties awaiting demolition—to use as controlled training environments for Riley and Prima. Owners willing to offer temporary access can contact the service at spvg.gi@gatineau.ca.
Why it matters for Gatineau
K9 units multiply the reach of patrol and investigative teams. Their highly developed senses—particularly smell, as well as hearing and sight—support time-sensitive work such as finding a vulnerable missing person or pinpointing discarded evidence in complex environments. The return to a two-dog complement gives the police more flexibility to respond to overlapping calls and to stage specialized searches without pulling resources from other priorities.
For residents, the immediate takeaways are practical: expect to see structured training in different parts of the city; avoid engaging with working dogs; and consider the police request if you manage vacant industrial space. Those steps, officials say, will help keep the city’s search and detection capacity sharp while minimizing disruptions in neighbourhoods.
Canine unit snapshot
| Dog | Role/Status | Noted Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Gunner | Retired | October 2022 (after six years of service) |
| Prima | Active K9 | Took over from Gunner |
| Riley | Active K9 (with Const. Pouliot) | On duty since May 28; ~20 operations to date |
The service underscores that the canine unit’s mandate spans multiple sections of the department, from frontline patrol to investigative teams. With Riley and Prima working in tandem, Gatineau’s police say they are better positioned to support complex files, conduct efficient searches and maintain a higher level of readiness citywide.
