Over and Out

A fitting term for the retirement of a Police Service Dog, as it’s not only something said at the end of a radio transmission, but also two commands taught to our canine partners early in their training.

Constable Wayne Wright began his career with the Peel Regional Police in 2006 and joined the Canine Unit in the fall of 2013, where he was partnered with a two-year-old german shepherd from Holland named Diesel.  After completing their basic training, this new team hit the road in the winter of 2014 and over the next six years, Wayne and Diesel served the citizens of Peel proudly with dedication and integrity.  They responded to over 1300 calls for service, resulting in 86 arrests while receiving a number of commendations for exceptional work, including the St. John Ambulance Life-Saving Award

One of the highlights for this team, and an example of their tenacity, occurred in 2017 when they responded to a break and enter in progress at a home in Brampton.  As Cst. Wright and PSD Diesel arrived on scene, all four suspects fled the house and ran in separate directions.  Diesel was relentless in his pursuit of justice, tracking all four suspects including one that was located nearly two kilometres away.

“Wayne is the definition of a team player, the hard work and dedication shown by this K9 team benefitted not only the community, but also the other members of our unit and the service as a whole.”, said Canine Unit Sergeant Matt Bertram, “It’s sad to see Diesel go, but I’m sure he’ll enjoy the spoils of retirement including unlimited dog treats!”

On September 27, 2019, the pair worked their final shift with the Canine Unit and Diesel was retired in good health for age related reasons and adopted by Wayne. Wayne has moved on to the Incident Response Training Unit where he can now share his wealth of knowledge and experiences with other members of our service.

Thank you for you service PSD Diesel, enjoy retirement.

Over and Out.