About USPCA Region 12
K9 officers and their handlers have effectively operated both out in the field as well as on the street. For decades, the USPCA has provided education, obedience training, support and awards to the absolute finest on four legs. Our region represents the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin as well as the province of Manitoba, Canada.
The United States Police Canine Association will assist your agency with: Certifications in Patrol, Tracking, Narcotics, Explosives, Wildlife, Cadaver, Accelerant tests, and Therapy Dog Certification.
We also honor our retired and deceased K9s with photos and memoriam. They're just as much a part of the teams and communities as their two-legged partners.
USPCA: A Brief History of a Stalwart Legacy
The oldest and largest police K-9 organization in the nation is the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA). We have been training and certifying police canines in the following areas since 1971: general patrol dog use, protection, narcotic detection, explosive detection, arson, tracking, fish and game, and search and rescue. From major airports to tight-knit neighborhoods, these highly trained dogs have been and will continue to dutifully provide protection and services for decades to come.
For more in-depth historical information, please visit the National USPCA History page.
Award Nominations - Case Submission
To submit a case for Award Nomination click on a link below:
| Narcotics/EOD Award Nomination | Patrol Award Nomination |
| K9 retirements | Spirit Award |
Awards Committee
| Brandon Bartholomew Minneapolis PD Awards Chair |
Quincy Grabau Plymouth PD |
| Mike Fildes Clay County SO |
Adam Carlson Winona County SO |
| Al Gocken MN DOC |
Lyle Sinclair Bismarck ND PD |
Awards Committee Votes
| 1st Quarter January 1- March 31 Deadline: April 5th |
2nd Quarter April 1-June 30 Deadline: July 5th |
| 3rd Quarter July 1-September 30 Deadline: October 5th |
4th Quarter October 1-December 31 Deadline: January 5th |
The following is a list of what the Awards Committee votes on:
- Nothing
- Citation
- Medallion
- Honorable Mention (1 for Patrol and 1 for Detector)
- Case of the Quarter (1 for Patrol and 1 for Detector)
For the detector award, K9 team must have a recent certificate of certification according the USPCA detector rules, which is yearly. For the patrol award, you must have one PD I certification from the USPCA. To be eligible for Case of the Quarter and Honorable Mention you must have a Region certification obtained through an approved trial. However, awards are allowed for patrol for K9 teams that are just tracking dogs and don't work the street in a patrol function. ie... a bloodhound or K9 that just does tracking.
If a case is submitted outside of the deadline date for certain quarter, it will only be eligible for a citation if it qualifies pass nothing.
In order to help keep us going strong and able to provide support for local agencies, please consider donating.