They have already been dubbed the Vancouver Police Department' s "cutest crime fighters", but the two brand-new German Shepherd puppies are nameless, and the VPD needs the help of Vancouver elementary school students to name them!

Over the next two weeks, the VPD is inviting Kindergarten - Grade 9 classes from Vancouver schools to submit names for the puppies. This will require each classroom to work together as a team to decide on the names. 

This is the third "Name the Puppy" contest for the VPD. Previous winning names selected by children were Police Dog "Nitro" (2007) and Police Dog "Diesel" (2006).

"The Vancouver School Board and the VPD enjoy a close working relationship in keeping our schools, students and staff safe and secure," says Patti Bacchus, the Chairperson for the Vancouver Board of Education. "I want to wish all students and classes who participate in this fun contest the best of luck."

Here are the contest rules:

• Open to Kindergarten to Grade 9 (K-9) classes in Vancouver schools
• One entry per class
• Submit two names (say if it's for the black pup or the sable pup) in the single entry
• Entry must include the school name, class/teacher name, and phone number for the school
• Submit via email to namethepuppy@vpd.ca

Keep in mind that the puppies are both males, and will be working police dogs. Names shouldn't be too aggressive sounding nor should they be fluffy.

The contest closes at 11:59 pm on Thursday, April 17, 2014. The winners will be announced on Tuesday, April 22nd.

The winning class will be provided with a tour of the Dog Squad facility, get a chance to meet the puppies and in-service dogs up close, as well as receive a police dog demonstration. If a class is unable to travel, then the Dog Squad will come to the classroom!

Puppy Info:

• Purebred German Shepherds
• Both are male - one is black, and the other is sable
• Eight-week-old littermates
• Born February 6, 2014, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• They come from a long line of police dogs - previous blood lines include In-Service VPD Police Dog Scout, and retired VPD Police Dogs Bear, Jackal, Flash and Saint