In Loving Memory of
K9 LOZO
December 18, 2013
(need photo)
Handler: Officer John Doskocz
Cheektowaga Police Department
3223 Union Road
Cheektowaga, NY 14227
Retired police K-9 Lozo loses battle with health conditions
Hearts became heavy in the Cheektowaga Police Department as the news of the passing of police K-9 Iozo spread.
The 11-year-old shepherd passed away on Dec. 18 after suffering from many health conditions, according to his
owner and partner Officer John Doskocz. Iozo was born in Budapest, Hungary on July 6, 2002 with the birth
name of Kolozsvar-Mellecki-Jazzy-Iozo.
He was brought to the United States in 2004 when he began his training to be part of the Cheektowaga Police Department.
After extensive training, following New York State guidelines, Iozo became specialized in narcotics detection and
patrol functions that included criminal apprehension, building search, open area search, crowd control and tracking capabilities.
He was certified by the NYS Bureau of Municipal Police, Eastern Police Canine Association,
North American Police Work Dog Association, and the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association.
Doskocz said that at one point, Iozo held more independent canine certifications than any canine team in
the Western New York Region. He even assisted other local and federal agencies with hundreds of
narcotics and criminal search operations. After years of sniffing out narcotics, dealer money and
helping put the criminals behind bars, Doskocz decided it was time for Iozo to retire.
While he was a police dog at work, he was still a pet at home and Doskocz wanted what was best for his pet.
Iozo retired in 2012. “It was time to retire him,” said Doskocz. “Being eight or 9 years old is the time to
start retiring a dog. I wanted to retire him relatively young so he could enjoy his retirement.” Shortly
before Iozo’s retirement, Doskocz began training with Wazi, who would work to take Iozo’s place in the field.
Iozo and Wazi quickly became friends. Off patrol, Iozo had become part of Doskocz’s family through the years.
“He was more than just a dog. He was my partner. He was my friend. He was like a child,” said Doskocz.
Doskocz added that while retirement was a great time for Iozo to enjoy his family and home, health problems
began to take a toll and he could tell his dog missed being in the field. “Iozo started seeing he was no
longer going to work. It definitely took a toll on him,” he said. “He was always the type of dog that was always
excited when I put my uniform on. He would want to jump in the truck.” Even down to his last few weeks
before his passing, Iozo would still get excited to go for rides in Doskocz’s truck, even when that ride
was to take him for a veterinary appointment, which there were many.
Iozo’s vet said his health issues could’ve been from a number of things but that they weren’t from his time
training or serving on the police force. Doskocz said that, while Iozo was a police dog and was trained to work,
he was a great pet, a friendly dog and a great companion. “Iozo was a ham and a half,” he said. “He could
go into a crowd of kids with them pulling his tail and pulling on his ears but there wasn’t a mean bone
in his body.” Iozo is already greatly missed by his family and the department. Doskocz said a memorial
service might be planned for after the holidays. submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
In
Loving
Memory
of
K9 LEO
December
16, 2013
Handler:
Officer
Rossicone
Wakefield
Police
Department
1 Union
St.,
Wakefield,
MA
Police
Department
K-9
Passes
Away
Leo was
with
Wakefield
Police
for 7
years.
Inoperable
tumor
was
found
recently.
Wakefield
Police
announced
Monday
morning
that the
department
K-9,
Leo, has
passed
away.
Police
reported
that an
inoperable
fast-growing
cancerous
tumor
was
found in
Leo.
“After
much
introspection
and with
guidance
from the
veterinarians,
it was
decided
the
humane
thing to
do was
have him
put to
sleep,”
reported
Lt.
Scott
Reboulet
in an
email to
local
media.
Leo had
been a
member
of the
Wakefield
Police
Department
for 7
years
and was
described
as an
invaluable
asset to
both the
department
and
town.
“Over the
years, Leo
was
instrumental
in many drug
searches&
seizures,
searches for
criminals as
well as
missing
persons.
Officer
Rossicone
and Leo also
participated
in many
demonstrations
for civic
groups as
well as for
school
children.
Leo also had
the ability
to
understand
when he
was“off-duty”
and was the
family pet
for the
Rossicone
family as
well,” said
the
announcement,
adding that
Leo will be
sorely
missed by
the
department
and
especially
the
Rossicone
family. At
this point,
Wakefield
Police have
yet to
determine
what the
future of
the town’s
K-9 program
will be
moving
forward.
submitted
by Jim
Cortina,
Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory of
K9 LUGER
November 17, 2013
Handler:
Deputy
Gregory Harris
Ingham County, MI
Police Dog Hit By Car, Killed
An 8-year-old police dog was killed
after he was hit by a car early
Sunday morning. Deputy Gregory
Harris found out
at 4:30 a.m. Sunday when he was getting ready for work that the dog was
missing. The dog, Luger was staying
at
Deputy Harris' home.
Luger was teamed with Deputy
Harris for over seven years.The
storm damage hit
Deputy Harris' house and the kennel
Luger was staying in, allowing the
dog to escape.
A vehicle hit the Luger
several blocks from Deputy Harris'
house.
The dog was taken to the hospital.
In the seven years Deputy
Harris
and Luger were a team, they caught
86 suspects, obtained over $50,000
in cash, found several missing
people
and made presentations at school.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory of
K9 LIDA
February 18, 2013
Handler:
Deputy Lance Zaleski
Madison County Sheriff’s Office
138 North Court Street
Building #7
Wampsville, NY 13163
End
of watch for Madison County's K9-1 narcotic team
Madison County’s first narcotic canine team,
known throughout the law enforcement community
as unit K9-1, is no longer available. The team,
consisting of canine Lida and her handler,
Deputy Lance Zaleski, were coming close to the
end of their joint efforts when Lida was due to
retire in March of this year, as she ten years
old. “Lida was starting to show signs of her
age” said Sheriff Allen Riley, “but her nose was
as good as the day she started, and her police
instincts were as sharp as ever. While she was
very intimidating as a police dog, on the other
hand, she was a gentle and caring animal and a
loyal partner to Deputy Zaleski.”
Onset of a serious health issue gripped the
animal recently, and she was on medication and
being examined by the Sheriff’s Office
veterinarian to address those issues, but her
condition deteriorated rapidly this past
weekend. Lida was put to rest on Monday, Feb.
18. Lida was a 10-year-old German Shepherd, born
in the Czech Republic.
She possessed an Advanced Narcotics
Certification, as well as certifications for
tracking and police patrol work, which consisted
of building searches, area Deputy Zaleski and
Lida searches, and apprehensions.
Lida
and Zaleski maintained their certifications with
intense monthly trainings, done in conjunction
with other police agency canine teams from
Onondaga and Cayuga Counties as well as the
Syracuse Police Department. Since coming onto
duty in 2005, Lida and Zaleski were routinely
called upon for not only drug searches, but
building and area searches. Lida searched for
not only suspects, but missing or lost children,
and adults that wandered from their homes. One
of the more notable cases took place when the
team assisted the Town of DeWitt Police with a
vehicle search.
Lida’s detection allowed law enforcement to
seize nearly eight pounds of marijuana and
$50,000 in cash that was hidden in the vehicle.
The team also was involved in numerous cases
that over the years have led to the seizure of
large amounts of marijuana and narcotics in
Madison County. Lida was also responsible for
the apprehension of ten individuals on various
call-outs that involved building searches,
mostly residential but also when three juveniles
broke into the Otto Shortell Middle School. The
team also performed several community service
events at area schools. Lida spent her years as
a police dog side by side with Zaleski, and
lived with the Zaleski family at their home.
She was buried on Zaleski’s property where
she spent most of her life. The Sheriff’s Office
still has an active K9 team in place. Deputy
Shawn Burbidge and his partner, Kota, are a
certified explosive detection canine team, and
also certified in tracking and police patrol.
The team started duty early in 2012. Sheriff
Riley noted “having an invaluable resource such
as a narcotic detection canine team in this
County, to assist in our efforts with the
ongoing battle of illegal drugs in our
communities is essential.”
The Sheriff will be working with County
Supervisors to obtain funding for the
replacement of a narcotic canine team.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory of
K9 LEE
January 21, 2013
Handler: Deputy Robert Wilkins
Pasco Sheriff's Department
8700 Citizen Dr.
New Port Richey, FL 34654
Pasco deputy mourns
the loss of loyal police dog Lee
Deputy Robert Wilkins kneels between his two patrol
dogs,
Copper, left, and Lee. Lee died unexpectedly Monday
morning.
Mornings this week have been different. Empty. Pasco
sheriff's Deputy Robert Wilkins hasn't gotten ready for work
alone in nearly eight years. He used to spend almost all of
his waking moments shadowed by a dark figure, fluffy with
pointed ears, a wet nose and deep brown eyes: Lee. The black
German shepherd knew the sound of Wilkins' jingling patrol
SUV keys. They made him scramble out the door, ready for the
ride. Wilkins said Lee loved going to work. They didn't
choose each other. Lee, then a 1 1/2-year-old imported from
the Czech Republic, was a police dog issued to Wilkins by
the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.
"You get what you get,"
Wilkins said. "They're like people. All have their own
personalities." Man and dog forged their bond over 600 hours
of training. Tracking, searching buildings and detecting
narcotics. Wilkins said Lee could read his stress through
all of the sessions. He was an excitable dog at work. Calm
at home with Wilkins' wife Rose, son Jacob and hound Copper.
They were quick to find out that Lee was one of the pack. He
was known for burrowing his head under the hand of anyone on
the couch. He made nightly welfare checks while the family
slept, prodding them with his wet nose just enough to make
them stir in their sleep to know they were safe.
In
training, Lee showed high drive but a short attention span
that made his master laugh. During long training scenarios,
Wilkins said, Lee would sometimes stop and stare off into
space until a command would snap him back into duty. In
other scenarios, Lee would drop his toys in front of "bad
guys," urging them to play. He did it a few times on duty,
too. "He didn't care who you were," Wilkins said. "He'd play
with you." At work, they tracked suspects, conducted
narcotics searches and set up SWAT perimeters. At home, once
every six months or so, Lee would gnaw the heels off Rose's
shoes. Wilkins would have to take her shopping.
Like all canine unit dogs, Lee was trained to meet
aggression with aggression on duty. But Wilkins remembers
Lee bending to the will of a toddler when Jacob, now 13,
would tell him to "go lay down." By the time Lee was 9, gray
powdered his muzzle. He had slowed a little. Wilkins said
it's common for working dogs Lee's age to develop bone spurs
that can numb their hind legs. On Friday, he took Lee to the
veterinarian for a check-up. The vet took an X-ray of Lee
but came back with startling news. Lee had developed a
tennis ball-sized mass on his spleen. "Was it something he
ate?" Wilkins asked.
"No," the
vet told him. It was a tumor. He figured Lee had six months
left in him. The vet did blood work and sent them home with
antibiotics. But Lee faded faster, much faster, than the vet
predicted. On Sunday, he refused food and water. That night,
there was no welfare check. Monday morning, Rose was getting
ready for work early when she called back to her husband.
"Can you go check on Lee?" she asked him. "I don't think
something's right." "Lee!" Wilkins called, expecting the
dog's head to pop up from the front door spot where he
slept. But Lee was still. Wilkins went over and shook him,
but he was gone.
Now,
mornings are lonely. There's a spot missing on daily patrol.
Copper noticed it, too. Earlier this week, the hound
searched every room in the house after seeing the empty dog
bed next to his own. The Sheriff's Office said it will issue
Wilkins another dog if he wants. There will not be a
memorial service for Lee, Wilkins said. He's not sure what
he'll do. He said he needs time to clear his mind. On the
side of his patrol SUV, under the canine unit sticker are
still two names, monogrammed in cursive "Copper & Lee."
Wilkins hasn't brought himself to correct it. "As far as I'm
concerned," he said, "it can stay for a while."
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
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Memorials
to Fallen K-9s