Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2018 February 26

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February 26

Police dogs in South Australia

Who was the first person (or persons) to acquire/import dogs for police work in South Australia?

I realise this is a very specific question, but I'm hoping someone can at least point me in the right direction for an answer. Thanks! LeoP09 (talk) 20:00, 26 February 2018 (UTC)

Read through first australian canine unit and see what you get. I'd think they may have been first used militarily. I'd also look for the person credited for creating the first such unit, since the dog breeder/importer may be entirely unknown. μηδείς (talk) 03:26, 27 February 2018 (UTC)

I found the first police dog in New South Wales which was 1932, Sydney for Kids - Justice and Police Museum (p. 4), so likely to have been around that time. Rajah (dog) was the first police dog in New Zealand, also in the 1930s. Alansplodge (talk) 12:03, 1 March 2018 (UTC)

However, South Australian Year Book No. 17: 1982 says: "Early in 1974, a Dog Squad of six handlers and six dogs became operational; it now comprises twelve handlers and dogs" (p. 173). Alansplodge (talk) 12:31, 1 March 2018 (UTC)