No stranger to the spotlight, award-winning patrol dog Manaia has traded her tracking duties for a well-earned retirement with handler Constable Jordan Steegh.
The high-performing team have racked up some pretty impressive stats - with hundreds of catches in the three years they’ve been together - and have also contributed to Search and Rescue. You’ll be able to see the team in action for yourself in future episodes of Dog Squad.
Manaia has featured multiple times in the Police Dog Charitable Trust annual calendar since qualifying for the Wellington section with Constable Cam Mullenger in December 2019.
Taking the leash as a rookie handler in 2022, Jordan had a lot to learn from Manaia (both pictured, right, at their graduation). “She knew what she was doing, and I had to catch up," he says.
“It was a real crash course, but we really clicked, and she wanted to work as much as I did.”
The duo quickly proved their worth and won the Erridge Cup – a national award for the top performing dog team in their first year of operation.
Jordan is still coming to terms with seven-year-old Manaia’s retirement but after five years of service it’s time for her to put her paws up and enjoy some downtime.
“It’s not about the memorable jobs, it’s about the memorable moments – all the firsts and now the lasts. The middle becomes a bit of a blur.”
Jordan learned to trust Manaia’s instincts, especially when the track didn’t always make sense.
He recalls a particularly good track in terrible weather after a ram raid at a bottle store in Johnsonville.
The offenders had jumped into a waiting car but, after spotting a bottle of liquor across the car park, Jordan gave it a crack with tracking.
Manaia got to work and after 500 metres they rounded the back of a property to find 20 teens inside partying with top shelf liquor.
“We were able to make the arrest and come to find out the track she followed was from the offenders walking to the store earlier in the day before they returned for the ram raid. She was working on a considerable time delay.”
It is now a big change of pace for the high-drive team – Manaia into her 'everyone’s mate' pet mode and Jordan into training with nine-month-old Hawke.
“They get along alright, but she keeps him in line.
“Manaia definitely has an on and off switch and knew when it was time to work. She might be a little confused initially, but she is a smart girl and will figure out retirement quickly.”
To commemorate a fantastic career, Manaia received a special doggy cake (pictured, right) for her last shift.
Thank you for your service Manaia, enjoy your retirement.