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K9 Aspen – Steams, Minnesota

Handler – Deputy Eric Shultz

Retired Stearns County K9 Officer Aspen, Legendary Bloodhound Tracker, Passes Away

A retired Stearns County K9 officer has died.According to a Facebook post by the sheriff’s office, “With heavy hearts we announce the passing of retired K9 Aspen.” Aspen was part of the only law enforcement Bloodhound team in Minnesota. She was with the department for nine years.During that time, the natural-born tracker was involved in over 400 cases with her partner and handler, Deputy Eric Shultz. She was part of finding a missing child in St. Stephen in 2012, and her oldest successful track was four days with the Minneapolis Police Department as they searched for a missing University of Minnesota student. In 2018, Aspen was certified through the FBI Response Team for missing persons cases in Virginia.She retired in early 2021 and had been enjoying the good life with her handler’s family. The SCSO also expresses its sympathies to the Shultz family.Eight years ago, KNSI News was invited to meet Aspen as she showed off her stuff. In the fall of 2015, the then four-year-old pup was able to easily find KNSI’s Jake Judd as he attempted to hide in the tall grass at River Bluffs Regional Park.

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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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