The Legend of Leo: From Elite Operations to Elevated Naps
Meet PSD Leo, the German Shepherd who officially retired in March 2025, trading in his badge for belly rubs and a life blissfully free of pesky perps. Leo, a December 2019 graduate, began his illustrious career with RCMP in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. We hear the prairie dogs over there still talk about his lightning-fast pursuit skills.
Leo’s resume boasts some serious K9 cred. Early in his career, while still in Meadow Lake, he was deployed to find a child who had wandered away from a rural residence. After a significant amount of time, Leo located the child a kilometer from home, leading to a heartwarming reunion. Fast forward to a deployment in Maskwacis, where Leo tracked a murder suspect, leading his handler, Cpl. Doug Cushon, and the Emergency Response Team through challenging rural terrain and directly to a bluff of trees where the suspect finally surrendered. As if that wasn’t enough, Leo also sniffed out a hidden firearm along the track – truly going above and beyond.
But Leo wasn’t just about high-stakes drama. As a narcotics detection dog in Wetaskiwin, Alberta (where he transferred in November 2020), he once searched a known drug trafficker’s vehicle and uncovered a hidden container of drugs. Let’s just say, without Leo’s incredible nose, that stash would still be playing hide-and-seek. We imagine his internal monologue during these duties was something along the lines of, “Nope, not cheddar. Nope, not bacon. Ah, there it is!”
Now, Leo’s days are filled with the pursuits he truly loves: napping in sunbeams, expertly tracking rogue crumbs under the couch, and ensuring maximum toy squeakage. He’s also known for his signature “happy howls” when the fridge door opens, even if it’s not for him, and his uncanny ability to “herd” his humans towards the treat cupboard with a series of very insistent nudges. While his working life was full of adventure, his retirement brings its own set of challenges, as he’s started to show signs of arthritis affecting his mobility. Rest assured, even without insurance, Ned’s Wish is committed to ensuring this hero gets the best care for his golden years. Welcome to the pack Leo!
So here’s to Leo! May his retirement be filled with endless naps, copious treats, and only the best kind of “high-risk calls” (like deciding whether to chase the mailman or just bark enthusiastically from the window). He’s earned every lazy, glorious moment.