Dunedin police's under-strength dog handling section is a step closer to returning to full capacity.
Only three out of five positions are operational in the city's dog handling unit following the resignation of three handlers last year.
Southern district operations manager Inspector Steve McGregor said one of two vacancies had been filled by a trainee dog handler earlier this year.
The officer and her dog were expected to complete their training and be deployable by early October.
It was not known when the other vacancy would be filled.
''The review of the Dunedin team has not yet been finalised and no final decisions have been made around the team structure,'' Insp McGregor said.
''Whatever the final outcome, all relevant parties will have been fully consulted and have provided feedback on the level of capability required for service in Dunedin.''
The Dunedin dog handling section had operated with six staff - one sergeant and five constables - until late last year.
However, the vacancies created by the resignations prompted a structure review.
One handler was moved to another front-line position before the review, contributing to the decision to change to a five-person structure.
Insp McGregor said he was not concerned about the vacancies or the structure of the team.
''The district is satisfied that the existing operational handlers are performing well and providing adequate coverage to meet current needs for dog section deployment.''
The Southern district has an authorised strength of nine dog handler positions, with the Invercargill section made up of one sergeant and three constables.
All of those positions are filled.
New Zealand Police southern district communications manager Nic Barkley could not confirm what led to the resignations.
Police dogs are primarily used to track and search for people but many are also trained for search and rescue work, victim recovery, deployment with the armed offenders squad and narcotic detection work.
Police dogs respond to more than 30,000 incidents in New Zealand every year.
