Pups named to honour past soldiers will become support dogs for future ones

Students at Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts were visited Wednesday by a litter of future service dogs, all named after Second World War veterans.

Hope Heels Service Dogs Bravo K9 program held a naming contest. Students came up with the puppies' names after researchingCanadian service members.

Grade 5 student Nate Rempelchose the name Prince, in honour of Sgt. Tommy Prince, a First Nations soldier who served in the Second World War with the 1st Canadian Special Service Battalion and in the Korean War with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

"It is definitely a good fit because I'm guessing he was a really nice person, like this very nice puppy," Rempel said.

The Bravo K9 program trains dogs for first responders and veterans with PTSD.

"They're trained to wake you up if you are having a nightmare. They're trained to alert you if you are having a panic attack and help to deal with it so limit it and reduce the symptoms," said Kristine Aanderson, executive director of Hope Heels Service Dogs.

The mother of the litter of puppies is the therapy dog at Victoria School of Performing and Visual Arts.