K9 Gator – Pineville, North Carolina

Handler – Corporal Lee Stanley

Pineville K9 passes after 3 years of ‘distinguished’ service

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved K9, Gator, who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. Gator was born in Hungary on May 28, 2019, and in January 2022, he joined our department alongside his partner, Corporal Lee Stanley.Throughout his distinguished career, Gator exhibited unmatched strength, courage, and unwavering loyalty. He faced each challenge with bravery and dedication, serving with an incredible sense of duty. Whether in the heat of a pursuit, searching for evidence, or helping to keep our community safe, Gator’s resilience and commitment never wavered.His legacy will live on in the countless lives he impacted and the extraordinary service he provided. His battle cry will forever echo in the hearts of our decoys who had the privilege of being apprehended by Gator.Please keep our officers, handlers, and especially K9 Corporal Lee Stanley in your thoughts during this difficult time.Dogs are a gift from God that we don’t deserve but are blessed to have. Many don’t get a chance to experience the truly unconditional love they give.

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Submitted By Jim Cortina

James A. Cortina has been involved with police dogs since 1972 and currently on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Jim has been appointed as Treasurer since its inception in 1991. Jim is one of the charter members of the C.P.W.D.A. organization. Since 1975 he has been a certified professional dog trainer and received his Master Trainer Certification in 1985. During his career he has provided armed K-9 strike crowd control for security agencies in Connecticut and out of state security companies. In conjunction with other members of the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Board of Directors, he helped to draft Connecticut Statute 53-247(e) "Intentional Injury or Killing of Police K-9" which was passed by the Senate in 1993 and also assisted in implementing the prestigious Daniel Wasson Memorial K-9 Award in 1992. In 1993 he helped coordinate the North American Police Work Dog Association Nationals in New London, Connecticut. He was appointed Training Director for the New London County Work Dog Association from 1985-1987. He performed decoy work for Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. in police K-9 demonstrations, trained several local police department canines, and coordinated training workshops for out-of-state police departments. He participated in the United States Police K-9 Association Trials in Croton on Hudson, New York in 1985 as a decoy. He is an avid photographer and received photography awards in 1989, 1990, and 1991 and currently takes photographs for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc.
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