Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"1986... POLICE DOG CHAMPION... ZORKO"

Date

1986

Materials

WOOD, BRASS

No. Pieces

1

Height

27.0

Length

13.0

Width

33.6

Description

TROPHY, WOOD AND BRASS. RECTANGULAR WOODEN BASE IS SLIGHTLY WIDER AT THE BOTTOM THAN IT IS AT THE TOP. PLAQUE SCREWED TO THE FRONT IS ENGRAVED, "1986 CANADIAN NATIONAL POLICE DOG CHAMPION, FIRST PLACE OVERALL.... ZORKO". ATTACHED TO BASE IS WOODEN SCROLL WITH BRASS PLAQUE WITH PRINTED BLACK IMAGE OF GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG. MARKED "CANADIAN...1986 - LETHBRIDGE ALBERTA". ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SCROLL ARE METAL DOG FIGURINES STANDING ON PEDASTALS.

Subjects

PERSONAL SYMBOL

Historical Association

SAFETY SERVICES

History

ACCORDING TO INSPECTOR BILL KAYE, THIS TROPHY WAS AWARDED TO HIM AND HIS DOG ZORKO FOR RECEIVING FIRST PLACE IN THE 1986 CANADIAN NATIONAL POLICE DOG CHAMPIONSHIP. THE PHOTO ON THE TROPHY IS OF ZORKO. HE AND ZORKO PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL COMPETITIONS. OF THE INDIVIDUAL EVENTS HE SAID, "YOU COMPETED IN ALL EVENTS. SO THERE IS TRACKING, SEARCHING, OBEDIENCE, AGGRESSION, SPECIALTY SEARCH, PERSON SEARCH, ARTICLE SEARCH AND YOU HAD TO COMPETE IN THEM ALL. YOU WERE SCORED ON HOW LONG IT TOOK YOU TO FIND A PERSON OR OBJECT, HOW LONG IT TOOK YOU TO TRACK. TECHNICALLY, THERE WERE JUDGES THAT WATCHED HOW WELL YOU TRACKED, WHETHER IT WAS GOOD OR BAD AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY AVERAGED THE OVERALL SCORES OUT." WHILE HE DIDN'T KNOW HE AND ZORKO WOULD WIN THE 1986 CHAMPIONSHIP, KAYE WAS AWARE THAT HE HAD A GREAT DOG. HE SAID, "I KNEW MY DOG WAS VERY GOOD AND WAS VERY DRIVEN AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT THINGS... I MEAN DEALING WITH ANIMALS IS INTERESTING BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE A REALLY GOOD DOG AND JUST HAVE A OFF DAY... AND THIS TAKES PLACE OVER A WEEKEND SO IF THE DOG IS NOT SHARP THAT WEEKEND, YOU DON'T HAVE A CHANCE BUT IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT WEEKEND THAT HE WAS ON." THEY WON FIRST PLACE IN 1986 AND THIRD PLACE IN 1987. THEY DIDN'T COMPETE IN 1988 BECAUSE THEY HAD RETIRED PRIOR TO THE COMPETITION. ZORKO AND KAYE WERE NOT THE ONLY TEAM TO COMPETE. JERRY RASMUTH AND HIS DOG, ZEUS, WON THE COMPETITION A FEW YEARS AFTER KAYE AND ZORKO DID. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE HISTORY OF ZORKO AND THE CANINE UNIT SEE P20080008001. FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20080008003

Acquisition Date

2007-01

Collection

Museum

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