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Died – 3/8/19
Handler – Const. Scott Mitchler
Edmonton police mourn the loss of service dog Jackal
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) is mourning the loss of one of their top performing canine officers Friday after a medical episode during his shift resulted in the discovery of cancer throughout his body. Nine-year-old police service dog Jackal, a purebred German shepherd also known as Jack, had been with the force for seven years before his final shift Thursday night. According to the EPS canine unit, Jack became unusually lethargic during his shift Thursday night. He was taken to a vet where X-rays, ultrasounds and blood tests were done which led to the discovery of multiple cancerous tumours throughout his body.Nicknamed “Jack Rabbit” for his speed and ability, Jack was also the loudest dog with EPS and loved to bark at everybody. When off-duty, he still loved to bark, but at other dogs. He also enjoyed chasing rabbits and his best tricks were shaking a paw and rolling over. Jack was also an award-winning dog while working with his handler Const. Scott Mitchler. He placed fifth overall at the 2014 Canadian Police Canine Association Trials. Mitchler and Jack were one of the top performing teams within the EPS canine unit and responsible for numerous arrests of suspects for crimes ranging from stolen vehicles and criminal flights to break-and-enters and sexual assaults.One arrest in particular stood out, where Mitchler and Jack were able to arrest two suspects responsible for two consecutive break and enters and a sexual assault, police said. In the early morning hours of Aug. 15, 2015, Mitchler responded to a report of a break and enter where a male suspect broke into a residence, stole several personal belongings and then fled. Jack was taken to the scene and was able to track and locate several of the stolen items a few blocks away. He continued to track the suspect to a second address in the area. When officers arrived, it was reported two men had broken into the home, stole personal items and sexually assaulted one of the residents.Jack continued tracking and located one of the suspects in a nearby school field. The second suspect was located a short time later in a nearby backyard. Both were arrested without incident. The last Edmonton Police Service dog to die while still serving was Quanto in 2013. Quanto was killed on duty after being stabbed multiple times while trying to bring down a suspect. His death led to the creation of Quanto’s Law, which carries a maximum sentence of five years, and provides a six-month mandatory minimum sentence if the animal was intentionally injured.
