Unrelenting Toronto Police Service Dogs are being praised as heroes for nightly helping to make arrests or save lives on the frontline.

Police Service Dogs Taurus and Luke are being hailed as crime-fighting heroes for their actions in the line of duty working in this country’s largest police force.

Const. PC Papadopoulos said he teamed up with Police Service Dog (PSD) Taurus and his handler Const. Russ Keveza on January 14 to search for a driver who fled from a vehicle during a traffic stop.

Handler Keveza and Taurus (small photo) scoured the area and soon found the suspect hiding not too far away.

“Driver was located hiding thanks to PSD Taurus,” PC Pappy tweeted. “Driver is now in custody facing several criminal and traffic charges.”

That same night Sgt Mike Palermo and PSD Luke were called to help officers in 12 Division find another driver who bolted from a car in a police stop.

The crime-fighting canine and handler worked hard back and forth in the area to find a driver who fled from a stolen car in the Black Creek and Lawrence Ave. W. area.

“After a lengthy track, Luke sniffed out the fugitive who immediately surrendered,” Palermo tweeted. “Luke sniffed out the fugitive who immediately surrendered.”

Palermo and Luke received and passed police canine unit training and had been working together since September last year.

The Toronto Police Dog Services was formed in 1989 and consists of 21 handlers and dogs. Most teams are comprised of one handler and one general purpose police dog. There are teams for detecting narcotic, guns and explosives.

Every handler is responsible for the care and maintenance of his canine partner. The dog not only works with the officer but becomes part of the officer’s family.

The Service uses German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois for general purpose police dogs and a Labrador, Springer Spaniel, and Malinois breeds for the detection of narcotics, firearms, ammunition, and explosives.

All are purchased after testing and are usually between the ages of one to two years.