City’s K9 unit remains suspended following the death of Const. Prevett

THUNDER BAY – After a tragic year the city police force’s K9 unit remains on hold.

Thunder Bay Police Service deputy chief Andy Hay confirmed the unit is still suspended following the deaths of Const. Joseph Prevett and service dog Thunder earlier this year.

“It’s going to take some time to get another canine handler prepped and ready to go, as well as getting another canine partner for that officer,” Hay said.

“The courses to qualify those officers as canine officers and to train the dogs don’t happen every month. They only happen once or twice a year at most.”

Prevett, 50, was the lone officer in the program before his death from a heart attack during a training exercise in Gravenhurst, Ont. in May.

Thunder, who was retired in December 2013 after eight years of service, died in January. Together the two had a success rate of 70 per cent, which far exceeds the normal standard of about 30 per cent for a police dog and handler.

After Thunder’s death Prevett was in the process of working with a new dog, Timber, in late spring before his death.

Timber has since been transferred to the OPP, where he has been assigned to a handler who was a close friend of Prevett.

“We are dedicated to keeping our K9 program in place but it’s probably going to take the better part of a year to get it back,” Hay said.

Over the next number of months the service is planning to hold an internal competition to determine their next handler. In the meantime the service has been relying on the K9 units of the OPP and Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service.

When the unit is resumed they hope the next dog can fill the footsteps of Thunder, who played a significant role in many regional law enforcement operations.

“He’s not only missed by our service but by the OPP and partner agencies,” Hay said.