Winnipeg police K9 unit welcomes new recruits

Winnipeg Police Service's canine unit has a whole new litter of recruits.

Last week, police dog Juno gave birth to 13 pups, a huge litter considering the average is about six to eight.

Two of the pups died shortly after birth but the 11 survivors are doing well and Juno is a proud mom, said patrol Sgt. Dave Bessason.

The police service has been breeding dogs for their own canine unit for several years. They also train and sell them as police dogs to other jurisdictions.

"And we had more orders than what we actually had pups if we only had six or eight, so having 11 is kind of actually filling the pre-orders," said Bessason.

"So it's really good news. It puts us in a real good position right now."

About three of the pups will be kept as canine officers in Winnipeg, he said.

It will take about a year for the dogs to be fully trained.