K9 Biz – Dickinson County, Kansas

Died 12/29/17

Sheriff’s dog killed by vehicle

Dickinson County Sheriff K-9 dog Biz was struck and killed in a hit-and-run crash Friday morning. Abilene Police Assistant Chief Jason Wilkins said at about 10:30 a.m. the department’s community service officer responded to a call of a deceased canine in the roadway at Third and Washington streets. Shortly after the officer’s arrival, the canine was identified as Biz. “Biz was a great asset to the community and he will be greatly missed,” Wilkins said. Undersheriff James Swisher said Biz was able to escape his enclosure when the locking mechanism on the gate failed, allowing him to be able to forcibly open the gate and escape. He was a few blocks from his home when an unknown vehicle struck him. Wilkins said no witnesses to the hit-and-run have been located. Swisher said in Kansas any time a motor vehicle strikes another person’s property, it is a reportable accident and a dog is considered property. Additionally, Biz was not a small animal and could conceivably have caused damage to the vehicle which struck him. Biz, a Belgian Malinois, joined the Sheriff’s Department in 2016 and was about two and a half years old. He was a multi-purpose canine trained in several aspects of law enforcement and had received his training at the Code Two K9 Training facility in Omaha, Neb.

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.