Police dog killed in search for missing man

By Lawrence Powell

The Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

The accidental death of an RCMP dog near Springfield Wednesday has saddened police officers in South Western Nova Scotia and has devastated the dog’s partner Sgt. Marcel Guilbault of the Chester Detachment, said RCMP spokesman Sgt. Mark Gallagher.

The three-year-old, 80-pound German shepherd named Fred, was apparently struck by a vehicle shortly after 10:30 a.m., minutes after arriving at a search scene about three kilometers from Springfield.

Police were searching for 77-year-old William Lewis, a man described as a recluse who had not been seen for some time.

Gallagher said that nobody saw the dog being hit, but did hear a noise that might have been the impact of the vehicle hitting Fred. Then yelping noises were heard. Gallagher said a grayish vehicle, that looked similar to a Toyota SUV was seen but the vehicle didn’t stop.

Gallagher said Guilbault was devastated. “It’s having your partner killed,” he said. “For the dog master it’s the buddy you spend night and day with. You have a very close bond. For some it’s like losing a child.”

Annapolis RCMP Sgt. Gordon Hay, who arrived at the scene after the accident, said PSD Fred was a purebred German shepherd described by Guilbault as remarkably bright, having finished training in half the time other Police Services Dogs require. He said Fred only had to be shown something once and he remembered it. “He (Guilbault) has lost a partner and a friend,” said Hay. “He was very sad. There’s a bond there that goes beyond being a pet owner.”

Hay said with Fred’s death, the RCMP have lost a valuable member and specialized resource.

Galleghar said that under the Motor Vehicle Act, there is nothing that requires a driver to stop when they hit an animal, but added that most people stop and check. He said that the RCMP would like to know exactly what happened. “There would be no charges, obviously,” he said “We just want to get the information.”

He said the police, and especially Guilbault would like some closure. “It’s hard for everybody, especially the dog handler,” he said. “He was part of the family and part of work.”

Galleghar said a memorial service will be held for Fred, but said it was too early to say when or where. He said it could be in Chester or even at RCMP headquarters in Halifax.

The search for William Lewis started Tuesday afternoon after Department of Natural Resources patrols came upon circumstances that seemed out of the ordinary to them, said Hay. RCMP were contacted and then police contacted the man’s family.

For the first two days of the search, the Department of Natural Resources supplied a helicopter to help search. On Thursday an RCMP helicopter took over. Also involved were members of Annapolis Ground Search and Rescue.

As of mid-afternoon Thursday, Lewis had not been located.