A 10-year-old Manitoba girl who recently finished cancer treatment has secured a national victory after winning the RCMP’s annual police puppy-naming contest.
Parker Beaton of Poplar Point was selected as Manitoba’s representative in the national competition, run by the RCMP Police Dog Service Training Centre in Innisfail, Alta. Her winning submission, “Bodhi,” was chosen as one of 13 official names for the force’s future canine unit.
For 2026, children from across every province and territory were tasked with submitting names starting with the letter “B.”
Parker’s mother, Brittany Young, said the contest provided a welcome distraction as they returned from a medical trip to Winnipeg. Parker had been recovering from a brain tumor originally diagnosed in 2023, which returned last year. Thankfully, she is now cancer-free.
“We got good news that the tumor was gone in January and everything is still clear as of now,” Young said. “It was definitely nice to not have to think about going to Winnipeg and treatments and everything, and actually have a win.”
While the contest puppies are bred and trained in Alberta, Parker received a prize package containing a photograph of the puppy she named, a water bottle, and a plush police dog.
To celebrate her win, local handlers from the nearby Portage la Prairie RCMP detachment surprised Parker at her home with a visit from their active service dogs.
“We didn’t get to meet the dog she named, but two canine officers did come out with their dogs,” Young said. “It was pretty cool.”
Other winning names selected this year included Beckett in British Columbia, Billie in Ontario, and Bruno in Nunavut, among others. Young encouraged children nationwide to participate when the annual contest returns next year with a new letter, “C’“.
“Just put your names in next year,” Young said. “You never know.”
By Renee Lilley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Jun 12, 2026 at 16:20
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