Conservation K-9 Program

Overview

Alberta’s Conservation K-9 Unit is part of the Aquatic Invasive Species program. The program employs detection dogs at watercraft inspection stations to inspect watercraft entering Alberta to ensure they are not transporting invasive mussels.

K-9 teams also conduct routine inspections of shorelines and water infrastructure, including docks and boat launches, at lakes across the province to ensure they are mussel-free.

Check out the videos below to see Alberta’s conservation K-9s at work sniffing watercraft and shorelines for invasive mussels.

The K-9 teams also help to fight other invasive species that threaten Alberta. In 2017 and 2018 teams deployed in Fish Creek Provincial Park in Calgary to learn to detect the invasive plant Thesium arvense. As well, teams have collaborated with the Wild Boar Control Program to assist with monitoring wild boar-at-large.

Check out the videos below to learn more about our K-9 team’s work to detect Thesium arvense and wild boar.

Canine deployment in Alberta

Alberta’s K-9 teams have been trained by  Working Dogs for Conservation, a world leader in conservation detection work. Initial training involves a 6 week specialized handler and canine boot camp where the handlers are matched with their canines. 

The canines learned to detect the odour, pinpoint the exact location, and display an alert. The handlers are trained to watch the dogs for changes in behaviour and how to methodically guide the dogs around the boat. At the end of the training, the successful teams pass external annual certification to the standards used by Working Dogs for Conservation for the detection of invasive mussels.

The teams are now deployed provincewide and focus their attention on dog supported watercraft inspections at stations across the province.

Meet the dogs

Our dogs come from different backgrounds but share the desire of a special toy as their paycheck. They are fully integrated into the lives of their handlers – by working, living and playing together, the dogs and handlers form a strong bond that makes them a better team in the fight against invasive species. Keep an eye out for the dogs hard at work at watercraft inspection stations and lakes across the province during the summer months.

Active working dogs

Hilo

Hilo is Alberta’s veteran Conservation K-9 and has spent over a decade protecting the province’s ecosystems. Hilo began his career training as a guide dog in California but decided he would rather move to Alberta to sniff out invasive species instead. While on shift, Hilo is very methodical and careful, which is quite at odds with his joyful and fun-loving personality when he’s off the clock! Hilo is also a great ambassador for the K-9 and AIS programs, happily showing off his detection skills for anyone who wants to watch. 

Jane 

Named after Dr. Jane Goodall, Jane is a black Labrador retriever who has found her true calling in environmental protection. She has a keen ability to work through distractions, remaining engaged with her task above all else. When she isn’t on the clock protecting Alberta's ecosystems, she is incredibly eager for new squeaky toys and loves nothing more than a good game of fetch with her favorite ball.

Winnie

Winnie is originally from Kansas, where she was found in a shelter as a puppy. Her charm and work ethic were immediately recognized for a potential career as a working dog. Winnie is very friendly and is always excited to meet new people. Energetic and highly motivated, Winnie is happiest with a toy in her mouth and with humans nearby to praise her fine detection skills. Winnie is named after Lake Winnipeg as an ode to our partners in Manitoba who have been working hard to contain to contain the zebra mussels in that lake.

Retired dogs

After years of dedicated service protecting Alberta’s natural environments and waterways, Conservation K‑9 team members spend golden retirement years in the loving home of handlers to enjoy a well‑deserved life of rest, play and family time.

Diesel

Diesel loves retirement just as much as he loves to meet people, so now he does both. After working across the province for his 9 years of deployment, Diesel now travels around to educate people about invasive mussels. Diesel loves to share his passion for searching out all invasive species and then show you his squeaky tennis ball which he now plays with whenever he wants. If you are lucky, you may still catch Diesel at the Burmis inspection station during boating season, where he supervises the operations from his very comfortable director’s chair. 

Legacy Dogs

Words cannot convey the loss of a team member, but their conservation legacy lives on.

Seuss

Part of the original Conservation K-9 unit established in 2015, Seuss was a focused and devoted partner at work. He loved the challenge of sniffing out tiny invasive mussels on boats and shores. A serious guy when it came to his job, he had a goofy side that showed whenever he received his special squishy ball. He exceled at pinpointing exactly where the tiniest mussel was located, and his favourite assignment was searching the long remote shorelines for mussels at Cold Lake and Lesser Slave Lake. Seuss is terribly missed as our original conservation detection dog, and as a great friend and colleague.

Watch the video below to see the Conservation K-9 Unit Dogs in action as they sniff watercraft for invasive quagga and zebra mussels.

• When the nose, knows – the dog squad sniffing out invasive species (November 13, 2019)
• Alberta’s top dogs are on the trail of an invasive weed (September 22, 2016)
• Alberta's Conservation K-9 team and partners commended for efforts in keeping waters free of foreign mussels (April 6, 2016)
• Province gears up to protect Alberta waters from invasive species (March 18, 2016