In Loving Memory of
K-9 HANK
May 3, 2005

Handler: Lt. Wayne Shaw
Montgomery County Fire Department
Montgomery County Fire & Explosive Section
8663 Grovemont Circle
Gaithersburg, MD  20877
240.777.2259

Arson Fighting K-9 Dies - Accelerant Detection Dog “Hank” Succumbs to Sudden Illness
It is with deep regret that Montgomery County Fire Chief Tom Carr announces the death of “Hank”, our K-9 accelerant detection dog. She passed away two weeks ago on Tuesday, May 3, 2005 after a sudden illness. Hank should be remembered for all of her hard work and dedication to the field of arson detection and fire prevention. She was a favorite of many school-aged children and the public in which she had contact. She has been recognized over the years for her outstanding work with her handler and companion, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Lieutenant Wayne Shaw. As a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) trained dog she also traveled far and wide on a variety of cases. Fire Investigator Lieutenant Wayne Shaw and K-9 partner Hank were an exceptional tool used against arson in Montgomery County. Hank began as a 21 month-old yellow lab who was certified in mid-June 2001. She was trained at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) canine training facility in Front Royal, Virginia. Her first “call-out”, in the summer of 2001 was a fatal fire in Gaithersburg, Maryland and shortly thereafter a multi-alarm apartment fire on Peakwood Drive, in Manasas, Prince William County, Virginia.
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Hank’s Story
Hank was born on November 27th, 1999 and brought up by a Puppy raiser for the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind. On January 10th, 2001, Hank experienced a career change before being selected as a Guide Dog and was instead chosen by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to become an Accelerant Detection Canine. On May 13th, 2001 Hank, ATF ID # 302, and Wayne Shaw, a Lieutenant with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service were partnered up to become an Accelerant Detection Canine Team. On June 11th, 2001, Lieutenant Wayne Shaw and K9 Hank became a certified Accelerant Detection Canine Team and a member of ATF’s National Response Team.Hank has worked over 200 fire scenes during her career. She worked fires throughout the mid-Atlantic region, including Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, District of Columbia as well as Puerto Rico. As an ATF team, one of the most memorable fires Hank and Lieutenant Shaw worked was a $3 million loss shopping center fire on December 4th, 2002 in a small town called Coamo on the island of Puerto Rico. She also worked the single largest dollar loss fire in Montgomery County history to date, the $10 million loss Trolley Museum fire, in Layhill.On February 24th, 2003, at 615 8th Street, Washington, DC, Hank and Lieutenant Shaw were requested to assist DCFD with an incendiary fatal fire. In this case Hank played a part in helping to identify the suspect which resulted in putting the fire setter in jail. For her part in this case Hank received the following awards: United States Police Canine Association Region 3 as First Quarter 2003 Detector Dog, United States Police Canine Association National Detector Dog Case for the First Quarter, United States Police Canine Association National Top Detector Dog case for 2003.Hank attended many area Fire Department Open Houses, both in and out of Montgomery County and made the rounds to several Elementary Schools on a regular basis. This arson-fighting team also assisted with several High School Career Days and was even featured on a Montgomery County Cable TV Channel program about Working Dogs.Hank and Lieutenant Wayne Shaw made numerous trips to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy, located in Brunswick, Georgia in which they assisted with training the new ATF agents in the field of Accelerant Detection Canine and Fire Investigation.
Hank enjoyed a wonderful home life with Gus, a 13 year old Yellow Lab and Tipper, a 12 year old Black Lab, who was Montgomery County’s First Accelerant Detection Canine. Hank always enjoyed a good night sleep; her favorite spot was in bed, between Wayne and his wife, Debbie. On May 2nd, 2005, while working, Hank was rushed to her Vet by Lieutenant Shaw for a high fever and then transferred to the VCA Veterinary Referral Hospital, where she was placed in ICU and diagnosed with canine leukemia. On May 3rd, 2005 at 1000 hours, K9 Hank passed away knowing her partner was by her side.
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Firefighters say farewell to dog who was 'all heart'  by C. Benjamin Ford - Staff Writer  - 6/8/05
Burly Montgomery County fire investigators sobbed last week at a funeral for one of their own.  Hank may have been 5 years old and a golden Labrador, but she worked more than 200 fire investigations. "These tears aren't tears of sorrow," said her handler, Lt. Wayne Shaw of the Montgomery County fire department. "They're tears of joy for having known Hank."  Hank joined the fire department in May 2001 as a specially trained "accelerate detection" dog.  Hank had seemed in good health when she suddenly developed a high fever on May 2 while working.  Shaw rushed her to the veterinarian, where she was diagnosed with canine leukemia. She died May 3.  Hank was probably ill for some time but hid the symptoms behind her happy demeanor, Shaw said. "Hank was all heart," he said. Montgomery County Fire Chief Thomas W. Carr Jr. and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents praised Hank's service. After the eulogies, a procession of about 20 police and fire department dogs with their handlers paraded past a photo of Hank. The handlers stopped and saluted. Hank and Shaw traveled to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy in Brunswick, Ga., to help train new ATF agents in how to use the dogs in fire investigation. Hank also traveled throughout the region and to Puerto Rico to help investigate fires.  Fire Investigator Brian Anderson choked up as he described seeing Hank walk through the office. "She was a true ray of sunshine for us," he said. "She will be missed very much. And I know she's in heaven right now."
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

In Loving Memory of
K-9 HARLEY 
Friday December 02,2005

5 K-9s........

K-9 Jeb died in February  (cancer / Euthanized )  ( bloodhound )
K-9 Leo died  in July. (cancer / Euthanized )  ( black lab )
K-9 Harley died in Dec.  ( cancer, test has not come back yet )
K-9 Geko  - Dec. 12, 2005  (cancer)
K-9 Enno (Diagnosed with brain cancer - see below. )

Handlers:
Baltimore County Police Department
700 E. Joppa Road 
Towson, Maryland 21286-5501
E-mail: bcpd@baltimorecountymd.gov
Phone: 410-887-2214
Fax:410-821-8887

Death of police dog under investigation - Closed canine facility is focus of concern
By Nick Shields and Josh Mitchell - sun reporters - December 9, 2005
 
Police dog Three months after the cancer deaths of two Baltimore County (Oct. 2005 names of K9s ?)
 and health complaints from officers prompted the closing of the department's canine facility for environmental testing, another county police dog has died.  While officials await test results to determine the cause of the dog's death, two other animals that had spent significant time at the facility are undergoing physical examinations. Two other police dogs had died of cancer since February, and a third was diagnosed with brain cancer. The facility, in a park built on top of a former landfill, was closed in early September after officials at the site complained of illnesses. The cancer cases came two years after the department moved the center to Southwest Area Park in the Baltimore Highlands area. Before the move, the unit, which was created in 1961, had lost one dog to cancer.  About 30 employees at the facility have filed injury reports with the department, some complaining of headaches, dizziness and respiratory problems.  "Our concern absolutely surrounds the health of the members that we represent, and concerns of potentially what, if anything, they've been exposed to," Cole B. Weston, president of the Baltimore County Fraternal Order of Police, said yesterday. An 8-year-old police dog named Harley died Friday, Weston said. He said the dog had been with the department for several years. The county has hired a firm to test the soil at the facility for contaminants. Test results are expected in mid-January, Donald I. Mohler, spokesman for County Executive James T. Smith Jr., said yesterday. Harley's body was sent to the University of Maryland for a necropsy to determine the cause of death, according to Mohler. He said that two dogs from the canine unit that spent the most time at the facility have been sent to the University of Pennsylvania for examinations to determine whether they have any health problems. Police dog deaths worry handlers
By Josh Mitchell - sun reporter - December 11, 2005

Two years ago, Baltimore County police marked the opening of their canine facility with an open house and a demonstration of police dogs' skills. Now, bright orange fencing and a "No Trespassing" sign keep visitors from the building. Police and union officials say two dogs are dead from cancer. Tests are being conducted to determine the cause of a third animal's death, while a fourth is believed to have brain cancer. And the union says its members worry that the dogs might be more like coal-mine canaries - signaling the potential for serious health problems among the humans who have worked at the facility, built on parkland on top of a former landfill." We've never seen anything like this before," said Cole B. Weston, president of the Baltimore County Fraternal Order of Police. "Since February to December, losing four dogs out of service, three of which are dead and one death is imminent, absolutely would cause people concern." The county's chief environmental officer has said it would be an "unprofessional leap of faith" to link the cancer cases to Southwest Area Park, pointing out that soil and groundwater tests were conducted on the land before the facility opened. Still, the county has closed the facility and a nearby playground and is conducting environmental tests. "We're going to err on the side of caution," said Donald I. Mohler, a spokesman for County Executive James T. Smith Jr.   "That's why we're spending a quarter of a million dollars on environmental tests. As much as the police union, we want to make sure that it is safe. It's the most extensive testing you can do." The county has sent the body of an 8-year-old police dog named Harley, a German shepherd who died Dec. 2, to the University of Maryland for a necropsy to determine the cause of death. Results are expected in a week to 10 days, Mohler said. Two dogs that spent the most time at the facility have been sent to the University of Pennsylvania for physical examinations. In February, Jeb, one of the canine unit's three bloodhounds, was found to have cancer, and cancer was found in a black Lab named Leo in July, Weston said. The union president said both animals were euthanized. A German shepherd named Enno was found to have brain cancer in March and has since been retired, Weston said. Dr. Phyllis Ciekot Glawe, a veterinarian with the Veterinary Cancer Specialists in Denver, said that cancer is a leading cause of death for dogs older than age 10, but that cancer in dogs younger than 5 is less common. In terms of environmental factors, "there's no paper that's been published that says this causes cancer in dogs," Glawe said. Weston could not say last week the ages of the three police dogs who had cancer, nor could he provide the types of cancer diagnosed in two dogs who died. The canine unit's 34 dogs and 27 handlers work patrols and can be called on to detect bombs and guns. They also search for bodies. Southwest Area Park is on land that was once the site of a 235-acre landfill. The land was purchased by the county in 1966 with the aid of a Department of Housing and Urban Development grant. The grant specified that the land would eventually become a park, and by 1985 construction had begun. The canine unit moved to its facility at the park in March 2003. The warehouse-like building sits diagonally from the Maryland Transit Administration's Patapsco Avenue Light Rail station. Before the move, the unit, created in 1961, had lost one dog to cancer. Police cited the deaths of the two dogs this year in closing the canine unit building in September until environmental tests could be done. Other parts of the park, including a boat ramp, were open last week. The unit has been working out of the department's North Point precinct, Weston said. On the day the canine center was closed, 31 employees of the dog center, including 27 officers, filed injury reports with the department. In the reports, some officers complained of headaches, dizziness and respiratory problems. Weston said officers were tested at a county-contracted health clinic shortly thereafter. The officers received results that Weston character ized as "raw numbers." "They have yet to receive any sort of summary or medical information as to exactly what all those test results mean," Weston said. "There's a tremendous amount of anxiety because there's a lot of unknown answers." Mohler, the county spokesman, said a Police Department colonel has asked the health clinic physicians to translate the blood test results in a "more user-friendly format."  Weston turned down a reporter's request to be put in touch with one or more of the unit's officers. He said the officers did not want to comment publicly because they did not want to risk their standing with the department. Cpl. Michael Hill, a police spokesman, said the department would not comment until it received results of the environmental tests, which are expected in mid-January.
______ all submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA_______

In Loving Memory of
K-9 HINA or HEENA
December, 1997 ~ June 11, 2005

Handlers:  Ajit Nigudkar & Ravindra Chakle
Ghatkopar, India

Heena, the female Labrador, which helped Mumbai's Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) in solving various puzzles during the probe into the Ghatkopar blast and the successive blast died due to kidney ailments, sources said.  The dog died hours before all the accused were acquitted by a special court.  About Heena, a police officer said she was trained differently from other sniffer dogs. "While other dogs bark when explosives are found, Heena used to make (shit) BMs," the officer said and recalled the good work done by her.  "She helped us solving the Ghatkopar blast and worked very well in the following months helping us seize explosives from a bus at SEEPZ," the officer said.  He said the dog died due to kidney ailments and passed away on the morning of June 11, a few hours before the order was passed. The dog had served in the squad for eight years and had been admitted to animal hospital at Parel for treatment last month.

In Loving Memory of
K-9 HANNAH SAR
 2005


(need more info) 
Partner:  Lynn Porter
Snake River K-9 Rescue Unit
Gooding County, Idaho

In Loving Memory of
K-9 HELIG
  Oct. 29, 1993 ~ Dec. 27, 2005

Handler: Lt. Richard C. Grimes
Weymouth Police Department
140 Winter St.
Weymouth, MA 02188
781-682-6118
submitted by Jim Cortina

In Loving Memory of
K-9 HOBY
November 2005

Handler: Deputy Kurt Dumond
Lake County Sheriff's Office
360 W Ruby St
Tavares, Florida 32778
(352)343-9500

Deputy Kurt Dumond of the Lake County Sheriff's Office buried his partner, Hoby in the last few days.K-9 Hoby was a 7 year old black shepherd who served the department since 1999.The Uniform Patrol Bureau of the Lake County Sheriff's Office contains several specialized units. These units answer calls for service or respond to emergencies that would be impossible or impractical for regular Road Patrol Deputies to handle. The Deputies that work in these units are "Special" deputies. That is, they specialize in a particular area of the law enforcement scope of operation. This span of operation is dictated by the variety of calls for service received from the public. These special units absorb all calls for service, investigations or emergencies that can not be handled by the other divisions. The K-9 Unit consists of ten deputies and their K-9's. These deputies and their respective dogs patrol, answer routine and emergency calls, perform drug searches as needed and search for and apprehend criminals.  These units are directly attached to the Uniform Patrol Bureau of the Lake County Sheriff's Office. In the event of a major emergency, natural disaster or any other critical event, all or part of the specialized units make up Special Operations are activated to handle or assist in the response to such an event. 
submitted by Dusty Simon

In Loving Memory of
K-9 HORAND
June 16, 2005

Handler:  Mike O'Hagan
Westchester Police Department
10300 W Roosevelt Rd
Westchester, Illinois 60154
(708)345-0060