At Ned’s Wish we believe in telling the stories of dogs who we’ve never met but who’s life and service deserve celebrating. We are therefore honoured to share the story of Police Service Dog Faro, who joins the distinguished ranks of Ned’s Wish Fallen Heroes.
Faro was born and raised in Manitoba, but trained at the RCMP Kennels in Innisfail, Alberta from August – December 1987. After training Faro was posted to Nanaimo, BC from December 1987 to March 1992. In retirement he won the lottery: his Veterinarian, Dr. Al Runnels, of Lantzville, BC, adopted him and Faro spent his golden years on 2 acres of oceanfront property. Faro passed away June 4, 1996, at the ripe old age of 12.
Faro was involved in numerous successful cases involving both tracking criminal suspects and finding missing persons. He tracked all over Vancouver Island, including on the famous West Coast Trail, and in the “Catface” north of Tofino. In the space of one week, Faro located the deceased victim of a cougar attack in the Catface and then days later successfully located a missing child, who had become lost in dense bush west of Duncan, BC.
Faro was quite a large and deep chested dog. During his Service, Faro suffered two complete stomach torsions that greatly contributed to his early retirement. He survived both emergency surgeries and returned to work, but these health incidents affected his longevity as a working dog. Faro was very fortunate to have a practicing Vet as his owner during his retirement.
Once retired, Faro quickly became used to his daily walks along the beach, looking for large rocks to pick up. On his way back home, Faro would walk through the village of Lantzville carrying his prized finds for all to see. One morning, while passing through the village, Faro saw a marked RCMP vehicle parked at the post office. He immediately sat at the rear door of the car and refused to move. The RCMP member recognized his former canine colleague and opened the back door of his cruiser so Faro could jump in, just like old times.
To this day, an INUKSHUK stands at the entrance to Dr. Runnels’ driveway, built from the rocks Faro acquired during his 4 years of retirement. Thank you for your service PSD Faro. You might be gone but you are not forgotten.