Brisbane Dog Squad unveils monument to honour Qld’s super snouts

A monument will be unveiled today to honour the hundreds of super snouts that have bravely served Queensland since 1972.

They are the furry frontline heroes who use their super snouts to protect our community and today a monument will be unveiled in their honour.

Hundreds of stones engraved with the names of current and past serving police dogs, along with the year they began service, will be unveiled this morning outside the Brisbane Dog Squad at Oxley.

Officer in Charge Sean Baxendall said the monument had been crowdfunded by officers and will pay homage to the more than 450 dogs who have bravely served Queensland.

Senior Sergeant Sean Baxendell from the Police Dog Squad. Picture: Josh Woning

“It recognises the dog’s service but is also important to handlers to have a memory that lives on,” Senior Sergeant Baxendall said.

The launch comes less than one month since Police Dog Rambo was killed in the line of duty, leaving his handler Sergeant Ian Grigoris devastated.

Rambo had been pursuing wanted man Alan Lace at Maryborough West when he was hit by a car on the Bruce Highway.

Sergeant Ian Grigoris with Rambo the day he graduated.

Queensland first used dogs in the line of duty in 1912 as part of an experimental trial - the first of its kind in Australia.

Two Dobermans were brought over from Germany but because no officer had dog handling skills, the trial was abandoned in 1915.

Snr Sgt Baxendall said the program was reintroduced in 1972 following a spate of crimes at schools.

“Police Dog Lobo found an offender on his first shift and that offender was fined 10 pound, but from then on, it was deemed a success,” Snr Sgt Baxendall said.

Australia’s first police dog handler constable Charlie Degnan - who began handling Lobo in 1972 - will also be at Oxley for the launch of the monument.