RCMP announces 2025 Name the Puppy Contest winners

INNISFAIL, AB, April 17, 2025 /CNW/ - The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 Name the Puppy contest. 

The contest ran from February 19 to March 19, and invited kids aged 4 to 14, across Canada to send their name suggestions for the first 13 puppies born at the Police Dog Services Training Centre (PDSTC) in 2025.  

A German shepherd puppy tilts its head to the side. (CNW Group/Royal Canadian Mounted Police Media Relations and Issues Management)

A German shepherd dog lays with her puppies. (CNW Group/Royal Canadian Mounted Police Media Relations and Issues Management)

This year, all names had to start with the letter "A". There were over 10,000 online entries! After a review of all the names, we are pleased to announce this year's amazing winning entries:

• Ace – Maxime Bellencourt (Yukon) 
• Argo – Rachael Marche (Newfoundland & Labrador) 
• Arctic – Emmett Campbell (Prince Edward Island) 
• Anouk – Madison Zamrykut (Manitoba) 
• Action – Chance Jerome (Alberta) 
• Agent – Samuel Bailey (Quebec) 
• Atim – Brianne Bell (Saskatchewan) 
• Ash – Quentin Qammaniq (Nunavut) 
• August – Nora Boken (Northwest Territories) 
• Anchor – Elisa Zirtilides (British Columbia) 
• Alfie – Duncan Hansford (Nova Scotia) 
• Adler – Denny Dewar (Ontario) 
• Addy – Paisley Leger (New Brunswick) 

This annual contest is an opportunity for community engagement across the country and to foster connection with the younger generation. Kids from every province and territory were encouraged to take part and send in creative names that reflect the important role these dogs will have in their careers as Police Service Dogs. 

Each of the 13 winners - one from each province and territory - will receive a laminated 8×10-inch photo of the pup they named, a plush dog named Justice and an RCMP water bottle. 

While there can only be 13 winners, names not selected for the contest will be considered for other puppies born during the year. For entries of the same name, a draw determined the winner. 

Quote

 "Choosing names for our future Police Service Dogs is a very important role. We are thrilled to have kids from across the country help us with this and it is always a highlight to see the submissions start pouring in. From all of us at PDSTC, we'd like to congratulate all winners and thank all participants for taking part in this year's contest. We appreciate your involvement to help us name future police service dogs of the RCMP, and most of all hope you had fun!" 

Inspector Shawn Boutin, Officer in Charge of RCMP Police Dog Services

For those who want a head start thinking of names for next year's contest, all names in 2026 must start with the letter "B". 

There will also be three public demonstrations taking place at PDSTC in 2025. For full details visit www.rcmp.ca/en/depot/police-dogs.

Link: https://rcmp.ca/en/depot/news/2025/04/rcmp-announces-2025-name-puppy-contest-winners

Backgrounder

About RCMP Police Dog Services

RCMP police service dog teams are an important part of frontline policing. They search for missing or lost people, track and apprehend criminals, remove illicit drugs from the streets, detect explosives, and search for evidence used in crimes.

About the Police Dog Service Training Centre

The RCMP Police Dog Service Training Centre in Innisfail, Alberta, is the training centre for all RCMP police dog teams in Canada.

All the German shepherds working today as RCMP service dogs were born at the PDSTC as part of the RCMP Police Dog Breeding Program.

SOURCE Royal Canadian Mounted Police Media Relations and Issues Management

Contact information: Inspector Shawn Boutin (Officer in Charge) or Sergeant Claudio Maurizio, RCMP Police Dog Service Training Centre, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, [email protected] / Tel: [phone]