Dog squad success comes down to bond between officer and best mate

It’s a tough day for Senior Constable Cam O’Sullivan. He’s turned up for two days’ training for the Central Queensland dog squad, but there’s an empty space next to his black labrador, Violet, at the back of his police truck.

Up until a week ago, this space was occupied by Rue, but the tough decision was made to put her down after she suffered from an untreatable infection.

“It was pretty heartbreaking,” Senior Constable O’Sullivan said.

The bond goes back more than six years when the dogs were just puppies, and Senior Constable O’Sullivan was first accepted into the dog squad after running a…