In Loving Memory of
K9 DANNY
November 18, 2008

Handler:  Detective Dan Wunder
O'Fallon Police Dept.
100 N. Main St.
O Fallon, MO  63366
ph: 636.240.3200

First O'Fallon police dog has died
Missouri, The city's first police dog, a 12 year old German Shepherd, named Danny has died. Facing mounting health problems, including a painful hip condition that made it difficult to walk, Danny was euthanized Tuesday. "He succumbed to old age and in his last ays was losing control of the use of his hind legs." Danny's long time handler,Det. Dan Wunder said. "He also suffered from partial deafness, or may have just chosen to have his own way in retirement by ignoring me."      submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

K9 Duke served on the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit from 1999 to 2006. He had a distinguished career in  the sheriff’s office and was a member of the National Police Bloodhound Association. K9 Duke solved many cases throughout the Worcester County area. His first case was motor vehicle accident where the subject had run off into a wooded area. The subject was badly hurt. K9 Duke was scented off of a tooth found in the steering wheel of the vehicle. The subject was located and taken to the hospital. K9 Duke also solved a flag burning case. A group of youths were burning flags in a residential area. K9 Duke tracked the youths down and solved the case. K9 Duke was retired in 2006 due to a leg injury. He lived out the rest of his life with his handler, Deputy Sheriff Shawn R. Conley, and Conley’s wife Susan. K9 Duke is survived by Hope, Teagen and Blue who have assumed Duke’s duties at the Worcester County Sheriff’s office.
A TRAILER’S PRAYER
Oh Lord I pray that you will hear and grant this simple plea,
that each time I run a trail you walk along with me. Give my
dog an unerring nose on the trail that he must follow, over
desert sand and marshy bogs and up the mountain hollow.
Help us find the one we seek, be he lost or be he hiding, for
on our failure or success a life just may be riding. Then when
I’m tired and wet and cold and I find it hard to smile, please
God, I pray give me the strength to walk that one last mile.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

Cotati mourns loss of police dog
Officers in the Cotati Police Department are mourning the death of D’Jango, the department’s only Police K-9 dog. The dog partnered with officer Chris Kaupe since October 2005 and was most recently trained in narcotics detection. “Officer Chris Kaupe and his son took D’Jango to a nearby park for some exercise and to play fetch. D’Jango suddenly fell to his side and was found to be in respiratory distress,” states a release issued by the Cotati Police Department Thursday. The dog, a Belgian Malinois, was taken to the Emergency Care center in Rohnert Park. He was put down later that night when it was determined there was no chance for survival. In addition to narcotics detection, D’Angelo was trained in suspect detection, property searches, tracking, building searches and handler protection.  submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

Mulberry Police Dog Dies When Patrol Car AC Fails
A Mulberry police dog left in a patrol car died Monday after the car's air conditioning compressor failed. Mulberry Police Chief Lawrence Cavallaro said the dog, named "Sam Diesel" died from the heat. The 2-year-old German shepherd had been in the car for more than an hour, although it wasn't clear Monday exactly how long he was in the car or when the air conditioning failed.  The Mulberry department purchased the dog in October after Wal-Mart employees from 10 stores in Polk and Hillsborough counties donated about $12,625. Diesel's handler, Officer Sara Movahedi, was working inside the police station Monday afternoon and left the dog in the car with the air conditioning running. Cavallaro said keeping the dog in the patrol car with the air conditioning running is standard procedure and done routinely. When Movahedi returned to the car about 3:50 p.m. to answer a call she found that Diesel had died and the car's air vents were blowing hot air. Cavallaro said Movahedi wasn't at fault in the incident. However, Cavallaro said, 'A periodic check (on the dog) would have helped. We're learning a hard lesson by it.' Movahedi's patrol car, a 2004 Ford Crown Victoria, was awaiting the installation of a heat alarm, which could have alerted Movahedi to the danger. A heat alarm, triggered when the temperature inside the car reaches a certain level, sounds the car's horn and sends a page to the officer's electronic pager. Movahedi was assigned the Crown Victoria less than a month ago and it had a new compressor and a cage had been installed, Cavallaro said. The department had the alarm system on order. 'She's a good handler,' Cavallaro said of Movahedi, who has worked with the department for two years. 'She just had some bad luck there.' Movahedi was not available for comment, but Cavallaro said Diesel's death took a toll on her. 'Right now, she isn't doing well,' he said. 'It's not a matter of losing your property. It's a traumatic situation. It's just like losing your partner.  The handlers and the dogs go through so much training together.'
UPDATE:
4 Factors Blamed in Death of Police Dog
POLICE DOG SAM DIESEL is shown last October with Mulberry Police K-9 Officer Sara Movahedi when a fund drive paid for the dog. He died Monday in a very hot patrol car. Four things likely contributed to the death of Sam Diesel, the Mulberry police dog who died of heatstroke July 21 in a squad car when the air conditioner failed: Officer Sara Movahedi, Diesel's handler, was told that morning by Mulberry Chief Larry Cavallaro to get the dog out of the police station because it stunk. The car, a 2004 Ford Crown Victoria, had a history of air conditioning compressor failure. The air failed again that afternoon. The car was not equipped with a heat-activated alarm that would have sounded loudly when the temperature in the car rose. Movahedi checked on Diesel during the afternoon, but did not check on him for about 90 minutes before finding him dead at 4 p.m. Those are some of the conclusions drawn from an incident report by Officer Ricky Booher, a patrol supervisor, and from questions answered by Mulberry police. The report was released Monday and did not recommend discipline for anyone involved. Cavallaro said Movahedi had been "punished enough" by the loss of Diesel. It's standard procedure at many law enforcement agencies to keep dogs in running patrol cars that are equipped with air conditioning and heat sensitive alarms that alert handlers when the interior of the car gets too hot. Recently, Diesel and Mulberry's other dog had sometimes been allowed in the cramped police building so the department could save on gasoline.On July 21, Movahedi brought the dog inside the building about 9 a.m., Cavallaro and Booher said. Cavallaro said he told Booher to tell Movahedi to get Diesel out of the building because he smelled. Movahedi didn't have the option of bringing the dog back into the building later in the day, Cavallaro acknowledged. "Some dogs don't smell so good," Cavallaro said, and Diesel was one of them. Booher said Diesel had such a bad smell that morning "that you could smell him all over the building." He said Movahedi was going to take Diesel to the vet for the problem. Booher's report details what happened in the period after noon on July 21 and doesn't talk about Diesel being banished from the building earlier that day. Movahedi was on duty Monday afternoon and said she was too busy to answer questions about the incident. Last week, during an informal conversation about Diesel, she said she "loved that dog more than anything in the world. He was my partner and my best friend."  The report said the air conditioning compressor in Movahedi's patrol car had been replaced twice, both times in June. However, the air conditioning worked when Booher drove the car to the vet with the dead animal, he said in his report. At the Cleveland Heights Animal Hospital, the dog's temperature was 109, despite his dying "40 to 45 minutes" before his temperature was taken, the report said. Movahedi has since taken another dog, Silvo, for her partner and the patrol car she now drives is equipped with a heat-activated alarm. But that wasn't the case on July 21. Booher's report said Movahedi returned to the station that day about 12:15 p.m. after being dispatched to calls for service. About 12:45, she was assigned to interview a family involved in a child custody case, at the department. She conducted the interview outside, first near her car and then under a building overhang. About 1:30 p.m., accompanied by a Polk sheriff's worker who was at the station, she checked on Diesel and he was fine. About 2:30 p.m., she again checked on the dog, who was sitting up in the back seat. She went back inside the police station to work on reports. About 4 p.m. she was dispatched to an alligator-in-the-road call. Booher left the station for the same call a moment behind her. Mohavedi's car was running but Diesel was dead. Booher's report said the hood of Movahedi's car was down, but she's not so sure. She said she was in the habit of leaving the hood up when Diesel was in the car to keep the engine from overheating and said she may have shut it before Booher exited the building, then got so upset she couldn't remember what she did. "I just don't know," she said last week. A lot has changed since Diesel's death. Cavallaro said Mark McGee of McGee Tires has put up $12,600 for a new police dog. The dog has to undergo 400 hours of training and won't be in Mulberry anytime soon. When it does arrive, it will be assigned to a car equipped with a heat-activated alarm. The new dog will be dedicated to McGee and to Wal-Mart, who put up the money for Sam Diesel. Cavallaro said the department will build two kennels in shady spots alongside the police building. When their handlers are inside working, Mulberry's two dogs will go in the kennels. Another new policy says the K-9 officers aren't to eat in restaurants with their dogs in their cars. While on calls, they're to radio into the dispatcher every 20 minutes that their car and dog are OK. If they don't call the dispatcher, the dispatcher is to call them. And the hood is to be left up when the dog is in the car alone. Cavallaro said Mulberry, which had few written safety rules for police dogs, now probably has the strictest rules in Polk County. Cavallaro said it's his wish that other police agencies don't have to go through the anguish of Mulberry police before making some changes themselves.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

Goshen Twp. Police K9 Dies Unexpectedly
DIED – 7/12/08 ( heart attack or a brain aneurysm )
The Goshen Township Police Department is mourning a K9 officer. Handler Matt Bucksath found Djim, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois, dead inside his crate at Bucksath's home on Saturday afternoon. The cause of death is believed to be heart attack or a brain aneurysm. Officials said Djim assisted in seizing over $6,000 in illegal drugs and contributed to the arrest of more than 230 criminal suspects. The township said officers will wear a black stripe on their badges in memory of Djim.
Prior article to K9 Djim's death
When a police car was parked near Catherine Menke's house, she found an unexpected surprise - a barking police officer. "I didn't know Goshen had a K-9 unit," Menke said. Menke called the police department to make sure she really saw a dog in the car. She saw Officer Djim, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois who's been paired with Officer Matt Bucksath since 2005.  According to Goshen Police, Djim has assisted in seizing more than $6,000 in illicit narcotics and contributed to the arrest of more than 230 criminal suspects during his time in Goshen Township. When Menke learned about Djim's role with the department, she investigated how to get a bulletproof vest designed to fit the dog.  She called vendors as far away as California, but eventually found what Djim needed at Point Blank, a police supply store in Anderson Township. The vest is bulletproof and blast proof, protecting Djim's vital organs. Menke got a quote of $510 for the vest, and she began asking for help, contacting residents and organizations in Goshen. No one really knew what to think when Menke asked for donations for a dog vest, she said. "They thought I was pulling their leg," Menke said. To help speed up the process, Menke asked friends and family members to make donations to the police department instead of giving her birthday and Christmas presents. Once the money was raised it took about a month and a half for the vest to be delivered. Djim finally received his vest in April. "I didn't know what to think," Bucksath said. "Not many people get involved in the program." With the vest, Bucksath doesn't have to worry as much when he takes Djim, who lives with Bucksaith, into duty.  "We're making a huge impact on drugs, and we're going to continue to make an impact on drugs here until they're gone," he said.    submittted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

Police dog killed by alligator
 A 10-foot alligator attacked and killed a 5-year-old bloodhound used as a tracker by the Bay County Sheriff's Office. Investigator Doug Pierce's wife had taken Datsi and the family's two other dogs for a run on Monday when Datsi jumped into a lake to cool off. That's when she was attacked by the alligator. Pierce says the dog managed to get away from the alligator, but her injuries were so bad that she collapsed and died on the shore. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission called in a trapper to catch and kill the alligator. 
MORE....
400-pound gator kills dog in Bayou George
BAYOU GEORGE — A normal outing Monday morning with the family dogs turned into a nightmare for a local pet owner when a nearly 10-foot, 400-pound alligator attacked and killed her 5-year-old bloodhound, Datsi. Shirley Pierce had taken her dogs Datsi, Hoover, a 9-year-old bloodhound, and Freedom, a 4-year-old border collie, on a run almost every day to the end of Bayhead Drive, on the banks of Bayou George near where it becomes Deer Point Lake. Her husband, Doug Pierce, an investigator with the Bay County Sheriff's Office, had trained and used Hoover as a tracker for the Sheriff's Office. The exercise was an important part of the dog's activities, he said. Doug Pierce said he had attempted to train Datsi as well, but it never worked out. During the Monday run, Datsi went into the water to cool off, and the alligator attacked her. "The gator was able to get up in the weeds without being seen," Doug Pierce said. The two animals fought, and Datsi was able to get away from the alligator, but she was mortally wounded, Pierce said. "It broke all of her ribs. It punctured them," Doug Pierce said. "The dog made it out of the water and collapsed."  Shirley Pierce ran to a nearby residence after the attack and called for help. Her husband, Sheriff's Office deputies and an alligator tracker came to the scene, but it was too late. "It devastated my wife," Doug Pierce said. "There was nothing she could do about it."  The arrival of humans did not scare the alligator, he added. "The gator kept trying to get to the carcass on the bank," Doug Pierce said. At one point, it fought off a smaller alligator, believed to be about 6 feet long, that also was trying to get to Datsi, Doug Pierce said. The incident was turned over to Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Sheriff's Office officials said. The agency usually kills alligators that appear aggressive and endanger humans. Trapper James Beech captured and killed the 9.7-foot, 400-pound alligator on Thursday.  "It's the fattest one he's ever seen come out of Deer Point Lake," Stan Kirkland, spokesman for the FWC, said Thursday night.  Beech still was looking for the 6-foot gator as well as an 11-foot-long alligator also seen in the area, Kirkland said. The area where the Pierce family walk the dogs is home to many gators, he added.  "It's not a good idea to let your dog swim in any place in Florida where there are gators, period," Kirkland said. "We have incidents like this that happen very frequently, and it causes a lot of anguish to the owner of the pet."
submitted by Jim Cortina

For those who are unaware, I want to inform you of the death of retired K-9 Officer Draven.  K-9 Draven retired in July 2006 after over 8 years of service to the department and community.  On Monday last week Draven suffered a Gastric Torsion (His stomach flipped), this causes rapid and extreme bloating in the abdomen.  I caught it rapidly and was able to get him to the vet where they performed emergency surgery on him.  For those who knew Draven well, knew that he was a fighter and did not give up, although only 1% of dogs survive this type of surgery, Draven pulled through it.  This was not an easy process though, the doctors had to remove his spleen in the process and give him a blood transfusion.  After the surgery I was given a recovery diagnosis of 25%-50%.  Draven spent the next few days attempting to recover from the surgery, however his stomach and internal organs were not able to recover from the shock of the incident and on Friday 06-06-08 in the early afternoon Draven went into multi-systems failure.  Several of us spent the afternoon with Draven, as long as we could, and at 1715 hours I made the difficult decision to end Draven’s final battle.  He lived as a warrior and died in the same manner.  For those who knew last week, I can never repay you for you concern, thoughts and prayers through this whole ordeal.  I shall spend a lifetime attempting to find a way to thank you. 

He was my friend, partner, my defender, my dog

I was his life, his love, his leader

He was mine, faithful and true 

Until the last beat of his heart

I owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion

- THE WICKED FLEE WHEN NO MAN PURSUETH --
- BUT THE RIGHTEOUS ARE BOLD AS A LION --
Respectfully Submitted,
Sgt. Erik J. McKee
update:
Decorated Newark police dog dies
A decorated Newark police dog died last week, according to a press release. With his career partner Sgt. Eric McKee by his side, Draven died Friday afternoon from multiple organ failure brought on by gastric torsion, the release states. A Malinois born in the Netherlands, Draven began training with McKee in 1998 and served until his retirement in July 2006. One year into his career, Draven placed fifth in the nation in narcotics detection at the 1999 U.S. Police Canine Association's National Field Trials. Along with two other Newark police dogs, Draven was awarded fourth place overall in the departmental team event. Erik is now a Sgt. and is still the departmental trainer and K-9 Unit supervisor.  I am also a state certified  K-9 trainer and assessor so I state certify and re-certify dogs from all over the State of Ohio. submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

Military dog dies inside vehicle
We're gathering details of a developing story at Albany's Marine Corps Logistics Base where the Marines launched an investigation into the death of military dog. Dax, a 5-year old German Shepherd died on the base. Dax was found dead last Tuesday inside a Marine Corps Police Department vehicle. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is looking into the circumstances surrounding the death. A veterinarian at Fort Benning will perform a necropsy to determine the exact cause of death. Dax was stationed at MCLB for almost three years and was trained in explosive detection and patrolling. A Marine spokesman told us the base's dogs are not only true Marines, but they're like family members,  and base mourns the loss of Dax. 
MORE
Marine Corps Logistics Base dog forgotten in vehicle
A military working dog left inside a police vehicle for four hours May 6 at Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany died from heatstroke, the results of an investigation released Friday found. The body of Dax, a 5-year-old German shepherd, was examined by a Fort Benning military veterinarian who determined the dog’s cause of death to be heatstroke, MCLB officials said in a statement. Assigned to a handler with MCLB’s civilian police force, Dax was left inside a police vehicle for approximately four hours the afternoon of May 6, Public Affairs Officer Lt. Caleb Eames said.  An investigation into the circumstances surrounding Dax’s death revealed “a lack of diligence in carrying out assigned duties by two civilian government employees,” the statement said. One employee had transported Dax and another dog to a training site, while Dax’s handler drove a different vehicle with supplies to the site, the statement said. After training, the same driver returned to the kennels, but only removed one dog, leaving Dax inside. Dax’s handler assumed the first handler had removed him from the vehicle, the statement said.  Four hours later when someone noticed the dog was missing, Dax’s body was found inside the vehicle, Eames said. “The command has implemented punitive administrative action against the two employees,” and the working dog section has undergone refresher training “to ensure that this does not happen in the future,” the statement said. The names of the employees, whom Eames stated continue to be employed as MCLB police officers, cannot be released under the federal Privacy Act of 1947, Eames said.  No criminal charges have been filed against them, he said. Dax had been assigned to MCLB for two years and 11 months and was trained in explosives detection and patrol, Eames said. He had completed one six-month tour in Iraq, returning to MCLB in November, Eames said. “This is a very sad time for us,” he said. “The military working dog section was very distraught after this happened. The relationship between the handlers and the dogs is very strong. It’s a close bond they develop, and to have one of the dogs be lost is a tragic event.” Dax was one of several dogs assigned to MCLB. Lex, a military working dog, was adopted in December by the family of his Marine Corps handler, Cpl. Dustin Lee. Lee was killed and Lex was wounded during a rocket attack in Iraq in March 2006. Volunteering information about the investigation to the media, base officials want the public to know that Dax’s death has been taken seriously and sufficient action has been taken to make sure dogs at MCLB receive proper care, Eames said. Dax’s death will not slow the work of military dogs aboard MCLB, he said. “We have a sufficient number of dogs to continue the mission of securing the base,” he said.  
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

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Police dog's death shocks breeder  - The death of a police dog surprised its breeder,
who had donated the bloodhound to the Miami Police Department.
Dynasty, a Miami police bloodhound, was donated to the department by a foundation created to honor slain 9-year-old Jimmy Ryce. The dog's recent demise -- investigators think she starved to death -- has spurred a criminal investigation into her handler, Miami Officer Rondal Brown, 48.  Brown has been relieved of duty with pay as internal affairs detectives and prosecutors investigate his role in the bloodhound's death. On Thursday, the dog's breeder, Pam Andrews, who had visited Brown and 4-year-old Dynasty several times during the past two years, was shocked to hear of the dog's death. ''She was always in good shape. She was fine. She was always well taken care of. I can't believe this happened,'' said Andrews of Lake Bloodhound Kennels in Lake Butler. Andrews raised Dynasty for the "Jimmy Ryce Foundation," which donates bloodhounds to police departments. Jimmy, a Miami-Dade boy who was kidnapped and murdered in 1995, was the subject of an intense police manhunt. The foundation believes bloodhounds might have helped find Jimmy sooner.  Dynasty was born Dec. 31, 2003, to Ernie and Destiny. Her siblings are also police dogs. She was given to Miami police on Feb. 26, 2004. With extremely sensitive noses and droopy skin and ears that sweep the ground to kick up scents, bloodhounds offer police departments unique weapons to find missing persons. Unlike German shepherds, bloodhounds are extremely loyal to only one handler. Andrews said bloodhounds are so sensitive they will often stop eating if their handler is not around. Some have even been put on antidepressant medication, she said.  ''Bloodhounds love humans. They want to be with people to the death. They [do searches] for no other reason than to please the handler,'' Andrews said. Miami police declined to comment on the case. Brown, a Miami officer since 1987, is a popular officer with a clean personnel history and more than 30 commendations. His attorney, Bill Matthewman, says his client would never knowingly hurt Dynasty. The dog stayed at the home of Brown, who had been on desk duty because of heart problems. ''The two of them loved each other,'' Matthewman said.  
 submitted by Jim Cortina