RCMP Sgt. Grant Hignell with Maverick at the Saskatchewan legislature on Tuesday, the day the province announced more drug sniffing dogs will be deployed to find contraband in jails. (Stefani Langenegger/CBC)

The provincial government is teaming up with the RCMP to get more sniffer dogs checking for contraband in jails.

The RCMP have drug-sniffing dogs based in Regina, Prince Albert and the Battlefords. Those animals have been used, from time to time, to check for illicit drugs in provincial jails.

On Tuesday, the province said it would fund another sniffer-dog position for the RCMP based in Meadow Lake.

It is estimated that will cost $130,000 per year.

The province says the agreement with the RCMP means that drug searches of provincial jails, by sniffer dogs, will happen on a more regular basis.

"The dog being funded is going to be in Meadow Lake but we'll be actually using all the dogs in the division that are trained for narcotics," Sgt. Grant Hignell, who works with a dog named Maverick in Regina, said on Tuesday.

"If Prince Albert needs a search in Prince Albert then the Prince Albert dog will attend. If the Regina facility needs a search then myself or another narcotic dog will attend."

The new canine unit for Meadow Lake is expected to be staffed by the spring.