In Loving Memory of
K9 TEN
November 09, 2012

Handler: Brian P. Picard
Georgetown City Police Dept.
South Carolina

My name is Brian P. Picard & Ten and I worked until February of this year at the
Georgetown City Police Department in Georgetown, South Carolina.
The department retired Ten after they were informed that Ten needed surgery on his back bone.
My wife and I paid for his surgery out of pocket ($2600 +) but it was worth it, he was brand new, just like a puppy again.
We moved in Feb across state to buy a home with land, living on the coast was too expensive.
The department I work for now blessed me with two more K9's to train / work.
Ten was just as reliable on Friday 11/9/2012 as he was the day I got him
and I still worked him from time to time.
QUESTION : When does the hurt stop ?

As Atf 2:49 this afternoon, my partner took his last breath as I held him in my arms.
I was the last thing he saw as he drifted off to sleep. He was with family and went peacefully.
His name is Ten, and he was the best.

Brian
k9picard@aol.com <k9picard@aol.com>

In Loving Memory of
K9 TRACKER
September 29, 2012

Handler: Sgt. Danny Camlin

Florence Police Department

North Irby Street Florence

SC 29501

WEBSITE - http://www.cityofflorence.com/departments/police/chief.aspx

An officer like any other: Bloodhound with Florence Police Department dies

Department’s 9-year-old bloodhound died unexpectedly

"Tracker," the Florence Police Department's bloodhound, died unexpectedly over the weekend.
Officers say the 9-year-old dog was a beloved member of the department and crucial in tracking many
suspects and lost children and elderly people over the years.

The Florence Police Department lost a small but most vital officer over the weekend. Tracker,
the department’s 9-year-old bloodhound, died unexpectedly Saturday at his handler Sgt. Danny Camlin’s home.
“I got home from work Saturday morning and he was sleeping fine. My daughter went out there just before
noon and he was in his dog house, sleeping fine. I found him about 2 p.m.,” Camlin said. Camlin said Tracker
was aging and had some hip problems but otherwise seemed healthy.

“He was moving a little slower but he was good,” Camlin said, adding that most dogs in Tracker’s line of work
live of average of about 10 years. “He still loved to go to work, and he was good at what he did. He was
responsible for catching quite a few people over the years – from bad guys to lost children,” Camlin said.
“But he was more than a police dog. I’ve got three daughters, and he grew up with them. I got him when he
was just 6 weeks old. He was part of the family.” Tracker was also a vital part of the Florence Police Department,
an officer just like any other, Florence Police Chief Anson Shells said.

Tracker was vital in helping locate suspects in many big crimes from bank robberies to break-ins, Shells said.
Bloodhounds track scents, but they do not apprehend or detain suspects like their fellow K-9 officers.
“They’re very well-trained. They train all the time, even when they’re not tracking suspects,” Shells said.
“We don’t just pick any dog and say, ‘Hey, this is going to be a police dog.’ They come by recommendation,
and we spend a lot of time and money to train them to do their jobs. These bloodhounds are members
of the department, and they’re just as valuable as any other officer.”

Tracker was special to the community, as well, Shells said, because the students of Briggs Elementary School
named him. “The police department did a contest to see who could come up with the best name, and one
of the classes came up with ‘Tracker,’” Shells said. Although the department has some other K-9 officers,
Tracker was its only bloodhound. Shells said eventually the department would like to get another, but there’s
no rush. “Tracker was a real part of the police department family, and it’s going to take us a little while to
deal with his death,” Shells said. “He was a good officer. We’re going to miss him dearly.”
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

In Loving Memory of
K9 TALON

September 1, 2012

Handler: Officer Chaz Holmes

Hillsboro Police Department

250 SE 10th Ave
Hillsboro, OR 97123

website - http://www.ci.hillsboro.or.us/police/Location.aspx

Hillsboro police drug-sniffing canine, Talon, dies of cancer

Hillsboro Police Department drug dog, died earlier this month of fast-spreading cancer of his spleen. The black lab spent six years with the department and his handler, Officer Chaz Holmes.

Chaz Holmes camped out on his living room floor with his dog, Talon. It was 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 1 when Holmes fell asleep,
the drug-sniffing police canine next to him. Holmes awoke at 6:30 a.m. that Saturday. Talon was dead. He had
suspected that the black lab might die, so he wanted to be near Talon, who served as his patrol partner for more
than six years. The 10-year-old worked to find dope until his death from fast-spreading spleen cancer.
"He'll be missed, deeply missed," said Holmes, a 10-year veteran of the Hillsboro Police Department.

Holmes had begun to worry about Talon after the dog started having what he believed were seizures. Talon would tense up,
fall to the ground and start shaking. The episodes lasted for 15 to 30 seconds. Then, Talon would snap back to normal.
A vet tested Talon's blood. The results were inconclusive. But during an examination of the dog in mid-July, a vet
noticed something that didn't seem right. An X-ray revealed a mass. Cancer. A week before his death, Talon started
to show signs of sickness on the job. He slowed down. Talon lived at home with Holmes; his two children and wife
also miss the dog. They saw Talon every day.

Holmes described him as "a jokester, prankster, very outgoing, strong-willed, loving and everything anyone would
want in a dog." Holmes and Talon started working together in March 2006. They conducted street-level enforcement,
focusing on livability issues. "Just shagging patrol calls, digging up what we could dig up," Holmes said. A pound
rescue dog, Talon started his career with Washington State Department of Corrections, where he nosed his way
around prisons. During training, Holmes and Talon were paired together based on their complementary personalities.

"I'm just as goofy as he is," Holmes said. "We're both pretty laid-back, pretty chill, easy going." During his career,
Talon was deployed more than 415 times, finding more than $123,000 in cash and 20 pounds of narcotics,
a small amount compared to some dope dogs who target drug traffickers. Finding pot was his strong suit.
"If we humans can smell it, it's probably pretty overwhelming for a dog," Holmes said, chuckling.
Talon's best find was $75,000, wrapped in cellophane and hidden under loose insulation inside an attic, Holmes said.

Detectives were serving a search warrant at the home and asked Holmes if Talon could take on the attic with his sniffer.
"And, yeah, we hit pay day," Holmes said. "That, by far, was our favorite." Another favorite moment, Holmes said,
was when Talon was assisting Portland Police Bureau officers with a search warrant. Holmes and other cops were
gathered outside on the residence's deck, when Talon noticed some cigarette packages scattered among at least
25 others. The dog sat waiting for investigators to check it out. "Show me," said Holmes, using the dog's command.
He led Holmes to a couple of packages containing crack cocaine. "It wasn't like a kilo," Holmes said.
"But it was totally awesome." He and Talon mainly patrolled a district together and hopped from call
to call in a 2006 Crown Victoria cruiser. Holmes isn't sure if he'll get another dog.
The department hasn't made a decision. For now, he'll patrol alone on swing shift.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

In Loving Memory of
K9 TESSA
Approx. Aug. 27, 2012

Handler: Sergeant Detective Scott Holman

Cloquet Police Department

508 Cloquet Ave.
Cloquet, Minnesota 55720

Cloquet narcotics canine earns final salute

The back seat of Cloquet Sergeant Detective Scott Holman’s squad car is empty these days. That’s because his
long-time K9 partner and companion, Tessa, had to be put down last week. The prolific Belgian Malinois,
a breed well known for what Holman once termed as its “enhanced drives,” was singularly responsible for
the recovery of over a million dollars’ worth of illegal drugs in Carlton County and surrounding areas.
Her teamwork with Holman also led to the arrest of thousands of criminals and drug traffickers,
many of whom plied the I-35 corridor between Minneapolis and Duluth.

And almost as frosting on the cake, Holman and Tessa repeatedly took top honors at police K9 competitions
all over the country, a testimony to the dog’s highly refined senses and diligent training.
According to Cloquet Police Chief Wade Lamirande, the idea to get a narcotics dog for Carlton County
first came about during the time that Chief Duane Johnson headed the department. The state had recently
determined that confiscated drug money should go back to the department responsible for making the arrest,
and Johnson, Lamirande and Officer Tim Lamminen decided to ask the city of Cloquet for permission to
se some of the local drug money toward a dog.

Tessa was purchased with $3,000 of that money in 1999, with significantly more dollars going
into training for both her and Holman, as well as her continued care and upkeep. She more than paid back that
money within a very short time, and during her first few months on the job, she won “Top Dog” status at the
USPCA Region 18 contest in St. Paul with a score of 199 out of 200.

For Tessa and Holman, there was no looking back. Over their years together they waged a personal war against
the proliferation of drugs in the Northland, and they succeeded in bringing many of the perpetrators to justice.
Along the way, the two became fast friends and dedicated partners, and while Tessa was all business out
on the job, at home she was all pup – playing with toys, tunneling in the snow and romping at the hunting
shack. Their partnership extended well beyond the realm of day to day law enforcement, however. Together,
Holman and Tessa traveled to schools and other events throughout the region to talk about Cloquet’s
drug enforcement initiatives and give them a glimpse of how skilled Tessa was in nosing out narcotics.

Holman once stated that she could detect if someone had smoked a joint in a car within the past two months
and track down a single tiny marijuana seed thrown in a snow bank. Tessa’s amazing skill and track
record in sniffing out drugs remained intact almost up until the end. She made her last major drug bust in
February 2012, unearthing a stash of marijuana with a street value of $20,000. After Holman was promoted
to detective, Tessa’s time in the field was somewhat limited, but she remained on the job up until about six
weeks before her death. Lamirande said the department has an interest in continuing its canine program
in some capacity in the future, and he hopes to bring the idea up at the working session of the Cloquet City
Council in the near future.

He said the department currently has $10,000 in its canine fund from the year it hosted the 2007 Police
Canine National Competition, though he admitted the canine program is an expensive one to operate,
including not only the cost of the dog and the required training but ongoing training needs, travel, and
personal care and upkeep of the dog. Lamirande said he feels confident that the city will give it serious
thought, however, because of the outstanding success of Scott and Tessa in making our community safer.
“Without them, a lot more drugs would have wound up out on the road,” he concluded. In recent weeks,
after Tessa started eating less and losing weight, it became apparent that her overall health had begun to fail.
And when the time came to make the difficult decision to have her euthanized, Holman already knew just
where she would be laid to rest – at the hunting shack, where the hard-working K9 officer could
always go to be a pup again. submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

MORE::::::::::::::::::
Tessa, shown here with Cloquet Sergeant Detective Scott Holman, helped recover more than
a million dollars’ worth of illegal drugs in Carlton County. She was put down last week after a decorated career.

In Loving Memory of
K9 TASCO
July 27, 2012

Handler: Officer Tom Gray
Roseville Police Department
2660 Civic Center Dr.
Roseville, MN 55113

WEBSITE - http://www.ci.roseville.mn.us/index.aspx?nid=17

Roseville Police K-9 Tasco Dies of Apparent Infection

The Roseville Police department lost a K-9 officer this weekend. Police say Tasco died Friday, July 27, due to
an apparent bacterial infection around his heart. Tasco was brought to the University of
Minnesota Veterinary Hospital by his partner, Officer Tom Gray, after Gray noticed Tasco
was lethargic and running a temperature. Tasco began working with the
Roseville Police Department in June 2006 and was named “Top Dog”
in his training class. He worked as both a patrol dog and in the narcotics detection division.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

In Loving Memory of
K9 TREU
June 23, 2012

Handler: Officer Calchi
Millville Police Department
12 S. High St.
Millville, NJ
PH: 856 825.7000

Millville Police Chief :

Tragic news over the weekend relating to our K-9 brothers to the south of us. K-9 Treu, a 2 year old Belgian Malinois
partnered with Officer Calchi of the Millville Police Department, tragically passed away at home following his tour
of duty. At this point cause of death is unknown. The team recently graduated from the John Sonny Burke
K-9 Academy just a short time ago. A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all affected buy this tragic loss~

The GCPK9A
http://www.gcpk9a.com/

Previous information on K9 Treu

MILLVILLE — Imagine a police force with every patrol officer assigned a K9 partner. Police Chief Thomas Haas does.
“A lot of people, where they don’t respect police, they do respect the dog,” Haas said. “Also, a dog’s nose is a
lot more sensitive for drugs.” Realistically, Haas said, six K9s might be the most the police department can expect.
And that goal got closer last week with the delivery of its fourth working dog, a male Belgian Malinois
who now answers to the name “Treu.”
The dog was imported from France to a company in Virginia that also supplies the military.
The city used $6,000 in drug case forfeiture funds to buy it. Partner is Officer Michael Calchi, who got to name
the animal. Treu is a German word that translates as “loyal” or “trusty.”
Calchi and Treu started a 16-week training course Thursday at the Atlantic County K9 Academy in Corbin City.
“He’s got a good temper,” Calchi said. “We bonded very well. He has come to work with me for a couple days.”
Calchi’s partner is the second Malinois the department has accepted.
The first one, named “Tyson,” is assigned to Officer John Butschky.
Both Treu and Tyson are from a breed designed for herding and other fieldwork. At about 65 pounds,
they are smaller than the average male German shepherd but compensate with quickness.
Haas said the city was looking at dogs from several other vendors when a representative from the American K9
Interdiction brought Treu to Atlantic County’s K9 school for a demonstration.
This dog just stood out,” Haas said. Calchi, in his third year with the department, was one of a dozen officers
who expressed interest last fall in K9 training. Multiple interviews and tests — including serving
as human targets for K9s — narrowed the field to Calchi.
Haas said the department hopes to buy a fifth dog this fall.
Memorial service will be:
Public invited......

submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

In Loving Memory of
K9 TOMMY
February 20, 2012

Handler: Officer Jake Demonte
Tiffin Police Department
P.O. Box 15
Tiffin, Ohio 44883

K9 Tommy was a 7 year old Dutch Shepherd. Until Tommy, a retired police dog from Tiffin, lost his
battle with cancer on Monday. Police partner Jake Demonte . Until recently, he was a police dog,
working for the City of Tiffin. Tiffin is a small community of roughly 18,000 residents located in
Seneca County (Northwest Ohio). Tiffin is conveniently located between the metropolises of
Toledo, Cleveland and Columbus.
The canine officer was diagnosed with lymphoma last year. Vets gave him a very good chance to beat the cancer,
but it turned out to be a more rare and aggressive form.
Officers plan to organize a fundraiser in the future to get a new dog for the unit.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

Posted: Feb 21, 2012 4:12 AM EST Updated: Feb 21, 2012 6:51 AM EST

By Lisa Strawbridge - email

In Loving Memory of
K9 TUCKER
January 25, 2012

looking for photo....

Handler: Officer Tom Gaffey
Bristol Township Police Department
2501 Bath Road
Bristol, PA 19007
215-785-4040

WEBSITE - http://www.bristoltownship.org/pd/

Police K9 dies from cancer

An almost 10-year veteran of the Bristol Township Police Department died Wednesday.
Tucker, the K9 partner of Tom Gaffney, died from cancer, police said.
He helped capture countless criminals over the years while taking part in numerous narcotics investigations and
searches for wanted people, said Lt. Guy Sava. "Tucker loved his work and was responsible for countless apprehensions
and assisted in recovering narcotics throughout Bucks County," Sava said.
Sava said the dog had a wonderful disposition. "He enjoyed showing off his skills and talents at public demonstrations.
He was an asset to the department and will be sorely missed," Sava said.

George Mattar, 215-949-4165; email: gmattar@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: @mattarmuses