The canine contribution to Queensland public services has been highlighted in two separate ceremonies.
Six new General-Purpose dogs and their handlers have graduated to the ranks of the elite Queensland Corrective Services’ Delta Unit.
Acting Assistant Commissioner, Eloise Hamlett said the dog squad teams joined the front-line of public safety following a rigorous course which included intensive operational deployment training at the Wacol Prison Precinct.
“The Queensland Corrective Services’ dog squad is highly-skilled, ranks among the best in the world and is an integral part of keeping our correctional centres safe and secure,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Hamlett said.
“These General Duties dogs will be deployed to de-escalate emergency situations and provide the highest security and response capability in our prisons.”
She said the graduates had successfully completed three months of exhaustive training to ensure they were prepared for the challenges on the job.
Meanwhile, another graduation ceremony took place at Queensland’s Parliament House to celebrate the State’s eight newest Seeing Eye Dog Teams.
The teams, each comprising a newly-trained Seeing Eye Dog and their handler, are now ready to head out confidently and independently into the community.
Minister for Disability Services, Craig Crawford said the wonderful connection between a handler and their Seeing Eye Dog was life-changing.
He paid tribute to the volunteer puppy carers who fostered potential guide dogs, the skilled trainers who got them ready to work with their new handlers, and the many other staff and volunteers that kept organisations like Vision Australia running.
“These dogs have learned tasks that are far more complex and nuanced than most other dogs ever have to perform to keep their handlers safe, but they do something even more important than perform on command,” Crawford said.
“They support some of the more than 1,700 people in Queensland who are blind or have low vision to live independently and participate fully in the community.”
