Three young police puppies in training have been named after local women’s sports teams to help celebrate and support women in sport.
The puppies—named Pulse, Phoenix, and Poua—were named after the Central Pulse netball team, Wellington Phoenix women’s team, and Hurricanes Poua rugby team.
The idea came from police dog trainer Sergeant Matt Fage, who wanted to honour local women athletes. “I think the teams were quite chuffed to be part of this,” said Fage.
Players from the teams were invited to meet the puppies at the Dog Training Centre in Upper Hutt. Whitney Souness, a Pulse netball player, called it a “cool experience” and said having a puppy named after her team was something special.
In the past, police dogs have been named after famous male players, including All Blacks and other rugby stars, but this is the first time these women’s teams have been chosen.
The puppies are part of the “P” litter, born 12 weeks ago. They will now be fostered by families around New Zealand as part of the New Zealand Police Foster Dog Programme. This helps them learn how to behave in different situations before starting official police training.
