Reggie, SQ’s first cadaver dog, takes on dozens of missions in his first year

Reggie, the SQ’s first certified cadaver dog, works with handler Olivier Paquette to locate human remains and speed up investigations.

Reggie is a bouncy four-year-old Labrador and also a detective. He is Quebec provincial police’s (SQ) first certified cadaver dog, trained to help officers find victims in minutes.

“Reggie has a dual specialization, which involves searching for human remains,” said his handler, Olivier Paquette.

Reggie can identify human remains at locations under investigation, quickly pointing out elements that might otherwise take hours to detect. Recently, he was sent to scour the site of a fire that tore through a building on de Lorimier Avenue, searching for clues.

Paquette said he and Reggie completed more than a year and a half of specialized training to reach this level of expertise.

A partnership with the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières allowed the SQ to access human tissues donated for science. Those samples helped Reggie become familiar with the scents he now tracks without hesitation.

During his first year on duty in 2025, the pair took part in 50 missions across Quebec. Paquette said Reggie has boundless energy and is tenacious in his work.

Paquette added that Reggie is like an athlete who responds to constant training to improve his skills.

How does he do it? Through play and perseverance, Paquette said. “The dog loves to play, plays ball and is persistent in his work.”

Reggie is a different kind of search engine — one helping police do their work and solve cases quickly.