K9 Jac – Granite City, Illinois

Handler – Pool

Retired Metro East K9 officer to be laid to rest Friday

A retired Metro East K9 officer will be laid to rest Friday afternoon. Jac was born on August 17, 2001 and worked his first shift for the Pontoon Beach Police Department in 2003, where he was handled by Officer Pool. After retiring in 2009, Jac lived with Officer Pool until 2013, when he was adopted by Det. Raymond of the Troy Police Department. Since his health has been deteriorating in recent months, Det. Raymond and Officer Pool decided to lay Jac to rest, but want “to see him walk into the Troy Veterinary Clinic with pride amongst his K9 peers,” according to post by the Troy Police Department. The department will hold a funeral procession for Jac, when he leaves Troy and goes to Belleville with officers and their K9 partners from across the area around 2 p.m.

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.