Striking Difference
Est. Read Time: 9 mins.
The Scene
True loneliness.
This is the sense you get as you enter the vast and unforgiving Canadian wilderness. In winter, these feelings are intensified. The cold bites a little deeper, the darkness spreads a little farther, and the wind screams a little louder.
The unforgiving interior of British Columbia, Canada
Tonight, in the southern region of British Columbia, there is no moon for the wind to howl at. The clouds hang low in the sky, blocking out even the faintest glimmer of the stars above. When people say that their ideal vacation is going somewhere remote to be with nature, this is not the scenario to which they prescribe. Close to civilization? No.
Here, you are unequivocally alone.
Corporal Stephen Prior, a veteran member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), has felt this feeling many times before. As a canine handler who is part of the Emergency Response Team (ERT), he and his canine partner, Neeka, have seen their fair share of danger and violence, even in the short time that they have been together. Neeka is now Cpl. Prior’s 5th dog, and after 18 years as a handler, he has decided that she will likely also be his last.
The team waits patiently on the deck as the engine of the ferry gently hums below. They are already nearly 60 minutes away from the mainland by boat, the lights on the dock having long since faded in the distance. When they arrive on the other side, they are met by a sheer curtain of darkness. The only thing visible on Neeka is the slight glow of her eyes. There is not an ounce of color in her black coat rather she blends right in with the night surroundings, making it hard to tell where one starts and the other begins.
The Track
*POP, POP*
All 4 wheels of the speeding auto drive over the spike strip and the smell of burning rubber tarnishes the otherwise perfect scent of damp evergreen trees in the air. Containment has been made by other RCMP officers on the deserted highway. The suspect ditches the car, bails out, and runs into the wilderness.
PSD Neeka - RCMP, Kamloops
The RCMP is given the task of protecting the federal lands beyond the area controlled by larger municipal police agencies. Canada is the 2nd largest country in the world by way of mass and covering it all is an impossible task. Instead, officers are called out and travel, often several hours away, to wherever they are needed most.
When Cpl. Prior arrives on scene, Neeka immediately hooks a track, and the team begins their pursuit of the suspect.
Cpl. Prior is fully equipped with Night Vision Googles to help navigate through the pitch-black darkness. It’s often thought that dogs have naturally built-in night vision themselves, but this is only partly true. While a dog can see better than humans in low light conditions, they rely heavily on their other senses to move around safely. In a forest of mystery, Neeka’s nose is the best tool at their disposal for locating the suspect in the vast and harsh backcountry.
Neeka’s track eventually leads them to what appears to be a large sawmill. Years of experience has taught Cpl. Prior that the eventuality of the suspect hiding somewhere in the massive yard is extremely likely. He takes Neeka off leash, gives the search command, and watches her work.
Inhaling as much as possible, she moves quickly through the yard. Piles of scrap lay strewn about haphazardly. Cpl. Prior moves with caution around the jagged obstacles, knowing that one false step could spell disaster.
In contrast, Neeka moves swiftly like a shadow against the cold earth beneath her. She kicks up an ugly layer of crushed wet sawdust left from years of being trampled into the ground by workers at the remote mill. Quick bursts of speed punctuate every straight line that she takes.
Neeka running through the sawmill.
Then suddenly, as if possessed by a ghost, Neeka’s progress comes to a dead halt.
Cpl. Prior knows that something isn’t right and immediately runs over to investigate.
Like a fish caught on a hook, a thin piece of metal is planted, deep, into Neeka’s body, preventing her from moving any further. She squirms and flails, trying desperately to get away, but she can’t free herself from the razor’s edge, her movements are only making things worse.
A disgusting feeling floods over Cpl. Prior as a wave of reality comes crashing down upon him.
They are not in the city, and the nearest animal hospital is hours away. In a matter of minutes, Neeka is going to bleed out. No amount of first responder training will overcome the gash to her side. All the time spent training, all the hours huddled in the back of a truck, waiting to make a move, waiting to make a difference, is going to be for nothing.
Cpl. Prior looks at Neeka and feels an overwhelming emotion never experienced with any of his previous 4 dogs. It wasn’t one of bravery, courage, strength, or power.
For in that moment, Neeka was helpless.
And so was he.
The Agreement
Experience in life is something that is acquired over time. It gives us confidence and influences the decisions we make on a day-to-day basis. When something new is introduced that challenges our own long-held beliefs, uncertainty and skepticism are two common and justified responses.
Neeka is Cpl. Priors 5th working dog.
Last year, we made the decision to no longer offer non-ballistic options for our custom-fit vests. This has been a decision that has been both simultaneously praised and challenged by handlers, especially those who have used and relied on our non-ballistic option with previous dogs.
When Cpl. Prior called at the beginning of 2022, he was one of these handlers. He used our non-ballistic option safely and successfully with 4 different dogs, spanning almost 2 decades. If anyone had a reason to challenge the change, it was him.
But he did something that altered the course of Neeka’s life that night at the sawmill.
He listened.
We explained the benefits of our newest ballistic technology: that it was lighter and thinner than anything that has ever been produced in the last 25 years. That our custom-fit sizing process took a monumental step, taking measurements in 27 different locations instead of just 7 for our original vests. That Neeka’s internal body temperature would be the exact same whether she was working in our ballistic vest or not, and that her mobility and agility would not be affected in anyway.
We weren’t just trying to provide a better product. We wanted to give him peace of mind, knowing that if something happened…if Neeka was injured or killed on duty…that we all did everything we could to prevent it as best as possible. Cpl. Prior took this new information to heart, but still had doubts.
He had 18 years’ worth of examples that fell short of his expectations. Jumping over the mental barrier to try the new Patrol Swat Vest was easier said than done. He didn’t want to waste his money, and he was already satisfied with what he was using, so why make the switch?
After a few more conversations, and a full money back guarantee, he decided to give it a shot.
Now, after nearly 100 ERT deployments, rappelling operations, swimming through ravines and rivers, hoisting with the Special Ops. Handle, working in humid and hot conditions, or freezing cold and bitter snow and rain, Cpl. Prior has put more miles on Neeka’s new Patrol Swat Vest in one year than some handlers put on their dog in a lifetime.
Her vest is now molded to her body like a second skin, and she doesn’t go anywhere without it.
The Legacy
Cpl. Prior looks down at Neeka and realizes that she doesn’t appear to be in pain. Her struggling movements are out of annoyance, not suffering.
It’s clear that the metal is lodged deep into her side, yet not a single drop of blood is spilt on the ground beneath her. The initial onslaught of despair melts away like the gentle snow falling on their shoulders.
He puts his hands on Neeka and helps guide the razor-sharp metal out of the ballistic panel on her well-worn Patrol Swat Vest. When her body is finally free, she gives a shake from the bridge of her nose to the tip of her tail and looks back at Cpl. Prior, waiting.
A moment passes. Then another. Until finally, Cpl. Prior issues the command that Neeka wants to hear.
Search, he says.
Neeka takes off into the darkness and moments later finds the target. The suspect is arrested, taken into custody, and transported back to civilization.
To all the handlers reading this: know that we stake our life on our vests because you stake your life on your dog.
Cpl. Prior’s willingness to try something new, not only saved Neeka’s life, but has simultaneously helped establish a new standard within his department.
It’s another amazing accomplishment in a legacy already filled with achievements.