Canada has ended a 55-year-old search and rescue dog programme in the Rocky Mountains, axing its sole remaining dog handler position in Banff National Park and prompting public outrage.
Parks Canada confirmed the decision to the BBC, calling it a “difficult decision” and saying it was part of efforts to modernise its law enforcement branch. The agency said search and rescue operations would continue to be delivered through other means.
The cut comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government makes broad cuts to Canada’s public service. Parks Canada announced last week that hundreds of its employees will soon be laid off, as part of C$145 million in budget cuts to the agency reported by local media.
A programme that found the missing
For 55 years, Parks Canada used rescue dogs in the Canadian Rocky Mountains trained to trace scents ranging from a small paper clip to shell casings to a human body, according to former handler Scott Ward, who worked in the role for 17 years.
After avalanches — a common winter hazard in the area — the dogs were called on to search for trapped hikers or skiers buried under heavy snow. They also helped find missing people in remote wilderness and supported police work.
The programme had already been cut back over the years to just one person in the role. Its last dog, a German Shepherd named Leroy, was retired in August after seven years on the job. In that time, Leroy helped track 156 people, find 57 who were lost in the wilderness, and solve two murders in Banff, according to the BBC reporting.
A new canine had been trained and was ready for duty before Parks Canada gave notice last week that the programme would be eliminated, local newspaper Rocky Mountain Outlook reported.
Outrage and a petition
Cutting the single role has stirred public outrage, with more than 5,000 people signing a petition since Tuesday to restore it. The petition was started by William Stevenson, the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Banff area.
Stevenson, who says he welcomes tighter government spending in general, told the BBC the cut could harm public safety. “How could they possibly make such a bad choice in where to cut?” he said.
Banff National Park is one of the most rugged parts of Canada and welcomes more than four million visitors each year from around the world, making mountain search and rescue a regular, high-stakes operation there.
The government’s defence, voiced by Liberal MP Ryan Turnbull, is that it is focused on safeguarding taxpayer dollars to foster growth, resilience and the well-being of Canadians. Parks Canada has not publicly explained why this particular programme was selected for cancellation, and the BBC reported it had asked the agency how much the canine programme cost to administer.
What changes for mountain rescue
Other countries still rely on canines, often called “avalanche dogs”, for mountain search and rescue, including Italy. In Canada, Parks Canada says rescue operations will continue through other means, but it has not detailed what replaces the dogs’ ability to locate people buried under snow quickly, when minutes matter.
Critics argue that losing the dogs increases risk for both visitors and rescue personnel, who would spend longer exposed to dangerous terrain. Supporters of the wider cuts argue the savings are part of a necessary restructuring across government departments.
For now, the programme that began in the early 1970s and grew from Jasper across the mountain parks is over — ended not because the dogs failed, but because the single remaining handler job was cut.
FAQ
Why was the programme ended? Parks Canada says it was a difficult decision tied to modernising its law enforcement branch, made amid C$145 million in agency budget cuts and wider public-service reductions.
Will search and rescue stop in Banff? No. Parks Canada says search and rescue operations will continue through other means; what it has not detailed is a canine replacement.
Who was the last dog? Leroy, a German Shepherd retired in August after seven years, credited with tracking 156 people and finding 57 lost in the wilderness.
Sources
- BBC News (via syndication mirror): “Canada stops using ‘avalanche dogs’ for rescues in Rocky Mountains, stirring outrage” (30 October 2026) — https://www.europesays.com/canada/271561/
- The News: “Why Canada is ending ‘avalanche dog’ operations in the Rocky Mountains” (30 October 2026) — https://www.thenews.com.pk/amp/1421916-why-canada-is-ending-avalanche-dog-operations-in-the-rocky-mountains
- Bow Valley Insider: “Banff’s 55-Year-Old Search and Rescue Dog Program Cut, MP Calls for Its Return” — https://bowvalleyinsider.com/p/banff-alberta-search-rescue-dog-team-petition
