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In Loving Memory of
K9 CHASE

November 19, 2014
 

Handler: Officer Tamra French 

Easton Police Department

700 Morehouse Road

Easton, CT 06612 

WEBSITE - http://www.eastonctpolice.com/ 

 

Officer Tamra French and K9 Chase were members of the CPWDA from 2004 – 2013 .
 They were also the 1ST Runner Up in 2009 for the prestigious  Daniel Wasson memorial K9 Award. 
 

Chase, the Easton Police Department’s former police dog, has died. His health had taken a turn for the worse, and he was not able to recover, according to David Buck, partner of Easton Police Officer Tamra French, Chase’s handler. “I type this with tears streaming down my face and an empty dog bed beside me,” Mr. Buck wrote in a post on the Friends of Easton K9 Facebook page Nov. 19 that was sent to The Easton Courier by one of the friends. “Yesterday K-9 Chase’s health took a turn for the worse, and he was not able to recover. Tamra and I spent the day and night by his side, soaking in as much love and strength from him as we could.

Chase was a good sport and let us bring him into the woods beside our house for one last photo shoot. We slept by his side by the warm fireplace in the living room, watching his every breath.” Chase fought as hard as he could, Mr. Buck said, but he and Officer French had to make the decision that it was time for Chase to leave them. He was surrounded by Officer French, her mother, K-9 Anouke and himself. Mr. Buck spoke of the inseparable relationship between Chase and Officer French as working partners and said an incident at work in 2009 caused them to develop an “unbreakable spiritual bond unlike any I’ve seen.” The paid worked together for a decade in Easton until Chase was 12. He was able to enjoy his retirement since then with Officer French and all the other animals he allowed them to bring into their home. “In sickness and in health, Tamra and Chase did more for each other than anyone will ever know,” Mr. Buck said. “He was a brave warrior at work, our alpha male at home, our therapist you could tell anything to and a shoulder to cry on when needed. Chase has now moved on, and will continue to protect and look after his family who counted on his strength and love. We will miss you more than you know, Chase, and will love you until the day we meet you again.” Set to retire June 30, 2013, Chase had to leave police service suddenly April 19 after he fell ill with what Officer French feared was cancer. Officer French purchased her four-legged partner for $1 in accordance with the police union contract and assumed all medical responsibility for the dog, since the police department has no provision for continuing medical care for a retired police dog. But the community rallied and came up with all the money to pay for his surgery. The biopsy results showed the former Easton police dog Chase was cancer free but had anemia.

He made just about a full recovery and had other dogs at home to keep him company when Officer French went to work. She said at the time that it meant a lot to know that people still asked about and cared about Chase and that residents still support bringing back the K9 program. “I feel very lucky to work in such a great town,” she said. submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

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In Loving Memory of
K9 CHAKA
October 18, 2014

Handler: Constable Elliot Mdadane  

Shongweni K9 Unit
South Africa

 

Slain police dog was stabbed by suspect 4 times

A postmortem has revealed that police dog Chaka was stabbed

Chaka, the police dog whose body was found two weeks after he went missing while chasing suspects in Mariannhill, was stabbed four times as he was bringing one of them down. A postmortem done on the 2-year-old Rottweiler - who partnered Constable Elliot Mdadane of the Shongweni K9 Unit - has revealed that he was stabbed in his head, between his ribs near the heart, on his chest and in his stomach. “If you look at the wounds, they are all the left side. We assume he was biting the suspect on his arm when it happened,” Colonel Thulani Sithole, head of Durban’s dog unit, said on Tuesday. “We think it happened soon after he was released.”

Chaka’s disappearance led to an 11-day search involving volunteers and helicopters, horse patrol units, tracker dogs and motorbikes. Unfortunately, it ended in heartache when his decomposing body was found in the reeds of a river bank, apparently not more than 20m from where he was last seen. Sithole said he believed the suspects - who had broken into a factory and fled from police - had still not been caught. But when they were caught, and if there was sufficient evidence, they would be charged with Chaka’s death. Sithole said Mdadane had not yet got a new canine partner, but was hoping to be allocated one soon.

Chaka is the third police dog to be killed in KwaZulu-Natal in the past month. Earlier this month, Sky, a 5-year-old Belgian Shepherd who partnered Constable Eugene Rautenbach, was shot while pursuing armed burglars in Pietermaritzburg. Last month, Storm was electrocuted when he ran into an illegal electrical connection in Copesville while pursuing suspects. A former dog unit member who did not wish to be named said handlers should, as far as possible, always stay with their dogs and release them on puppy lines. “They are no match for armed suspects,” he said. But another veteran dog handler said he “would have done exactly the same thing”. “From my knowledge of the events, both handlers were 100 percent by the book,” he said. submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

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In Loving Memory of
K9 CAIN
September 3, 2014

Handler: Deputy Dominic Guida 

Flagler County Sheriff's Office

1001 Justice Lane

Bunnell, Florida  32110

WEBSITE - http://www.myfcso.us/

 

Retired Flagler K-9 passes away

Deputies Dominic Guida & K9 Cain were partner for 7 1/2 years.

The Flagler County Sheriff's Office said goodbye to one of the agency's own Wednesday after retired police K-9 dog Cain was put down following a stroke. Deputy Dominic Guida, Cain's partner for the past seven and a half years, was by his side when the 12-year-old German shepherd was euthanized on Tuesday by a veterinarian, according to the Sheriff's Office. "We thank K-9 Cain for all of his years of service to the Sheriff's Office and the residents of Flagler County," Sheriff James Manfre said in a statement. Cain joined the Sheriff's Office back in February 2007 when he was donated by the Ginn Corporation. He was certified in patrol, drug detection and article, building and area searches. According to the Sheriff's Office, Cain was an ambassador for the agency and could often be seen doing demonstrations at schools and events throughout the county. He was an active member of the agency's K-9 Unit until he retired in April 2011. After retiring, he became part of Guida's family.  submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

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In Loving Memory of
K9 CYLDE
July 21, 2014

Handler: Deputy Chris Powell  

Brunswick County Sheriff
70 Stamp Act Dr.

Bolivia, NC 28422

 

 http://brunswicksheriff.com/
 

Brunswick County K9 passes away
Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office is reports the passing of K9 Officer “Clyde”. Clyde was part of the bloodhound team
along Deputies Josh Smith and Chris Powell, and canine sister “Bonnie". Clyde was handled primarily by Deputy Powell.
He said, “Clyde had a very unique personality. He was a real go-getter. He was happy and loving and all he wanted
 to do was to please. He was a very hard worker, often working until he was too tired to go anymore. He was a very
 talented tracker and assisted in many searches over the years. This is a devastating loss for me. He will always hold
 a special place in my heart and will be greatly missed.” Clyde, along with his sister Bonnie, was donated to the
 Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office in 2009. He was fostered and cared for by members of the Sheriff’s Office until
he was ready for training. Deputy Powell worked with Clyde since his arrival. Clyde passed away this past
 weekend of natural causes.  submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

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In Loving Memory of
K9 CHEVY

July 12, 2014

Handler: Officer Flaherty
{partner from 1999-2005}
Waterbury, CT

Hello, my name is Sarah Flaherty. I am K9 Officer Flaherty's daughter. You made us a cards for his, dog, K9 Bleek.  Bleek passed away in 2009. You didn't hear of his first K9 partner, before he got K9 Bleek... and his name is K9 Chevy. He was one of the first police dogs in Waterbury CT. He had passed away and we would like a card to be made for my father. He is still hurt by losing his best friend and partner. He lost K9 Chevy in 2008. Chevy has medals awarded to him for Narcotics and finding missing people.  He won trophies in the CPWDA for first place, and after the 9-11 attack in NY. He and my dad went down there to search for people in the rubble.
 He also protected President Bush's trip to CT, K9 Chevy retired after having seizures. He was a good dog and a great partner.
He is truly missed by those who knew him and love him. K9 Chevy a Belgium Malinois and he was my dad's partner from 1999-2005.
notified by From: Sarah Flaherty
p.s.  Dear Sarah.... I am no longer donating K9 photo cards...
since husband, Bob is no longer working, but I will never give up my K9 site)

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In Loving Memory of
K9 CAESAR

June 23, 2014

Handler: Officer Richard Michel  

Westminster Police Department

7 South Street
Westminster, MA 01473

website - http://www.westminster-ma.gov/pages/WestminsterMA_Police/index

 

Westminster police mourn death of police dog Caesar

Westminster Police Officer Richard Michel and his dog, Caesar, on their last shift together, Sunday night,
 a day before being euthanized.

 

A familiar face in the community, Westminster Officer Caesar, a Czech shepherd who was a 7½ -year veteran of the force,
 was euthanized Monday after suffering from an enlarged heart. Police announced Caesar’s death this week expressing sorrow
over the 9-year-old dog's death and appreciation for efforts by Caesar and his handler, Officer Rich Michel, to make
the community safer. Police Lt. Michael McDonald said there has been an outpouring of support from the community
 since the message was posted. The notice and postings of photographs, including a photograph of Caesar and
 Officer Michel on their last patrol together Sunday night, have drawn hundreds of responses.

In the lobby of the police station is a painting of Caesar recently done by local artist Patricia Gendron. It was brought
 in by her husband, Burt Gendron. He placed a card with the painting for residents to sign and offer condolences.
 Lt. McDonald said concern was raised about Caesar's health June 19 when the dog and Officer Michel worked with
 state police to do a routine search of Oakmont Regional High School. "Rich discovered Caesar was limping," he said.
The dog was taken to Wachusett Animal Hospital in Westminster, where it was discovered Caesar had medical problems
 that he likely would not be able to survive. The dog had a tumor in his leg, but also, Lt. McDonald said, he had a
 very enlarged heart. "He was basically in a position where he could have died at any time," he said.
The decision to euthanize Caesar was made with assent from Officer Michel. "Obviously Officer Michel and the
dog were very, very close," Lt. McDonald said. "They probably spent 50 to 60 hours a week together, and he wanted
 to do what was best for Caesar." The dog lived with Officer Michel and they patrolled together every workday.
 "He's very sad right now," Lt. McDonald said. "It's like losing a member of the family."

Caesar was trained in narcotics detection, tracking, criminal apprehension and building/area searches, and he proved
his worth not only in Westminster but in other communities in the area. Lt. McDonald said that over the years
Caesar took part in drug searches and also helped Westminster police and other departments find firearms, money
 and other items during arrests. During an investigation into an armed robbery, he said, Caesar found the suspect
and the firearm. This spring he assisted Princeton police in locating an unresponsive woman. He said Westminster
 has always been willing to offer the services of Caesar as mutual aid to neighboring communities.

At the time of his death, the Police Department was planning to retire Caesar. At 9 years old, he had reached
 the age where he could step back and let a new dog take over. Lt. McDonald said that before learning of his
health problems, the department was already looking to the future. Fundraisers had been started in town to
 help pay the cost of acquiring and training a new dog. At town meeting in May it was announced that Mr. Gendron,
 a member of the town Advisory Board, and others had raised $7,000 toward the effort. Another $3,000
was approved by town meeting.

Caesar's efforts were honored at this year's Memorial Day parade in which the K-9 and other dogs played
 a prominent role. Lt. McDonald said Caesar's value went beyond just the department's fondness for the animal.
 "It's an excellent resource," he said. "When we have someone missing or in danger for some reason, it's invaluable
knowing we can deploy the dog. "We certainly are going to miss Caesar, but we're also going to miss the service,"
he added. Lt. McDonald said the department is looking at ways to mark Caesar's service, including having a plaque
made with a picture of Caesar and Officer Michel on it to hang in the police station lobby.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

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In Loving Memory of
K9 COOL 

June 15, 2014
 ( Collapse of building )

China

A canine expert has called on police to review its training program after a Belgian shepherd plunged to its death from the three-story Police Dog Unit headquarters at Sha Ling. A spokesman said Cool - which was almost two years old and of a breed also known as Malinois - jumped over the railing during warm-up exercise with its trainer on the roof of the building at 9am yesterday. The trainer immediately tugged on the leash but failed to stop Cool's fall as the loose collar slipped over its head. Cool was sent to a veterinary clinic in Tai Po but was declared dead. "For the safety of police dogs during training, handlers have been given guidelines," the spokesman said.   submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

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In Loving Memory of
K9 CAL

June 9, 2014

Handler: ?

Tulsa Police Department

5963 E 13th St

Tulsa, OK 74112
 

WEBSITE - https://www.tulsapolice.org/

 

Canine officer Cal dies after battle with cancer
The Tulsa Police Department is mourning the loss of one of its canine officers. Officer Cal lost his battle with
 cancer  Monday night. Cal "was a dedicated partner and a great addition to the Tulsa Police Department,"
reads the statement. "He will be missed." According to the TPD,
 Cal assisted with multiple apprehensions during his time with the department.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

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In Loving Memory of
K9 CONAN

April 22, 2014
 

Handler: Cpl. Jamie Thompson 

Effingham County Sheriff's Office

130 W 1st St.

Springfield, GA 31329
 

WEBSITE - http://www.effinghamsheriff.org/

 

Deputies mourn as K-9 officer dies near Savannah

The Effingham County Sheriff's Office is mourning the loss of one of their own. K9 Deputy "Conan" passed away Tuesday night at the age of 15. Canine handler Cpl. Jamie Thompson, and the entire Effingham County Sheriff’s Office are grieving the loss the much beloved Belgian Malinois. Conan, who was born and imported from Holland, was trained in narcotics detection, tracking, and apprehension. He was bought from another sheriff's department in 2004 for $3,6000 and is credited for helping apprehend multiple fugitives, as well as locating tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of drugs in Effingham County. Conan retired in 2010 after having to have major surgery to remove a large tumor from his back. He spent his retirement with the Thompson family. “Conan could be hard headed and stubborn at times but he was loyal until the end”, Cpl. Jamie Thompson said. “ I know there was nothing he would not do to protect me or my family. I will always cherish the time we had together and feel truly privileged to have had him as both my partner and friend. I will forever miss him”, Thompson said.  submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

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In Loving Memory of
K9 CHARIK

April 2014

Handler: Officer Sylvia Toumayan  

Concord Police Department

219 Walden Street
P.O. Box 519
Concord, MA 01742

 

website - http://www.concordma.gov/pages/concordma_police/index

 

K-9 that helped search for bombing suspects euthanized. Concord department holds memorial for Charik

He's been her partner since he was just a puppy and has worked with her on countless cases, but now Concord Police Officer Sylvia Toumayan is saying goodbye to her German shepherd, Charik. Suffering from canine degenerative myelopathy -- a progressive disease of the spinal cord in older dogs --- Charik, 8 ½, had to be euthanized, and a memorial service is being held for the dog Friday. Through his years with the department, Toumayan said Charik has built up an extensive resume. He has assisted Toumayan and the department with cases involving house and car break-ins, narcotics and finding missing people. He’s also responded to many calls from surrounding towns requesting mutual aid.

 

Most recently, Charik and Toumayan assisted Boston police after the Red Sox won the World Series in October, as members of the Concord Police Department are part of the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council. They also assisted in Boston after the Marathon bombings last April and in Watertown when suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was apprehended. Toumayan, who was been with the department for 17 years, spoke to Wicked Local about her partner's health earlier this year. "It's just really hard," she said. "The hard part about it is there is nothing I can do." Toumayan thanked all the veterinarians who have taken care of Charik since he was young, including Wignall Animal Hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in Woburn and a retired veterinarian dentist, Dr. Laura LeVan, from Concord.

submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

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In Loving Memory of
K9 CORLEY
March 30, 2014

Handler:  ?
Sheriff Jim Matthews

Kershaw County Sheriff's Office

P.O. Box 70
821 RIDGEWAY ROAD
LUGOFF, SC 29078
 

WEBSITE - http://www.kershaw.sc.gov/Index.aspx?page=83

 

K9 officer hit by car, dies before surgery

A K-9 officer with the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office has died after she was run over by a vehicle Sunday. The Sheriff's Office says as a result of the accident, bloodhound Officer Corley needed costly, invasive surgery. Corley died during surgery Monday afternoon. "I regret to say that K9 Corley died this afternoon while under sedation for a CT scan," stated a post on the
Kershaw County Sheriff's Department's Facebook page. "Her injury was too severe and caused too much damage to her heart.
 Thanks for all the phone calls and offers of financial support." Sheriff Jim Matthews says a majority of the K-9
 operations are supported by public donations. A plea for funds was made on the department's Facebook page. Matthews
 had hoped the surgery would allow the bloodhound to recover. The circumstances behind the accident have not been made public.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

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In Loving Memory of
K9 CHEWY
March 16, 2014

Handler: Officer Annette Harrington 
Little Rock Police Department
700 W Markham St.
Little Rock, AR 72201  

WEBSITE - http://www.littlerock.org/citydepartments/police/

 

Little Rock Police Department's K-9 Squad Mourns Officer's Passing

LRPD K-9 Officer Annette Harrington and partner K-9 Officer "Chewy"

 

"Little Rock Police Department's K-9 Squad Mourns Officer's Passing"

LITTLE ROCK, AR - The Little Rock Police Department (LRPD) is mourning the loss of a member of its family.
On Sunday, March 16, K-9 Officer "Chewy," a 6-year veteran of the department, passed away unexpectedly.
His handler, Officer Annette Harrington, was at his side.
Chewy was 8 years old and had lived to serve the LRPD and the City of Little Rock
Chewy joined the K-9 Squad as "Ascar" but his name was changed after the other handlers with the squad noted that
he looked like Chewbacca (from the Star Wars movies).
In the summer of 2008, K-9 Chewy alerted on a vehicle where over S100,000 in cash was located K-9 Chewy
continued to do a great job locating numerous felons and also excelled in locating narcotics and had found over 250
pounds of marijuana during one of his early years of service.
Chewy is the second K-9 partner for Officer Harrington in her 12 years with the squad.
When not working, "Chewy" was always honing his retrieval skills. Officer Harrington says he loved to play fetch "with
anything that wasn't nailed down." That included everything from tennis balls, rocks and sticks to his handler's other
dog's toys.
The City of Little Rock thanks K-9 Officer Chewy for his service and asks that you keep Officer Harrington, her family
and the K-9 Squad in your thoughts and prayers.

submitted by Frank Brunetti, NJ & Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

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In Loving Memory of
K9 CHAOS

March 7, 2014 ?

Handler: PC Katie Johnson
UK

Police officer pays tribute to dog who took on raiders

A police dog caught up in a terrifying armed raid in which his handler was shot has died at the age of 13. Courageous canine Chaos was with PC Katie Jones when she was shot in the leg at the Hospital Inn, Bamber Bridge, near Preston, on New Year’s Eve 2007. Today PC Johnson, 33, said a tribute to Chaos was likely to take the pride of place at a police dog memorial being 
created at the dog unit in Hutton, near Preston. She said: “ He was wonderful. He went though something no other dog in Lancashire has ever been through and was really special. He will be sadly missed.

“He was rehomed after the robbery and I saw him once, a year later. You have to let go and allow him to move on with his life, but I kept in touch with his family.” Gunman Wayne McDonald, formerly of Didsbury, Manchester, David Tyrell, of Factory Street, Tyldesley, Rudolf Mancini, of Division Lane, Blackpool, and the pub’s former chef Peter Plaskowski of Dean Street, Bamber Bridge, were given various jail terms for their involvement. Chaos retired after five years and went to live with Philip and Melanie Donaghy, from Preston, and their sons Kane, 11, and Kieran, 10.

Melanie, 42, said: “ It’s awful, very upsetting. We have a Jack Russell, Lilly, and she is pining for him. He used to put her in her place. “He was very loyal, good as gold. We knew his background but it didn’t affect his life with us, he had a good innings.” Chao’s story lives on in a book - Beyond the Call of Duty, by Ben Ando. PC Johnson is an ambassador for Hounds for Heroes, which provides assistance dogs to injured Armed Forces and emergency service workers.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

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In Loving Memory of
K9 COPPER

March 3, 2014

Pasco County sheriff's staff mourn loss of canine partner

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) staff are mourning the loss of one of their law enforcement canine partners.  "Copper",
 a nine-year-old Bloodhound assigned to the PCSO Canine Unit, passed away yesterday, after eight years of law enforcement service. Donated to the sheriff's office by the Jimmy Ryce Center for Victims of Predatory Abduction, Copper served the citizens of Pasco County with his forte' in sniffing-out missing persons, illegal substances, and bad guys who elected to flee/hide from law enforcement authorities.The Jimmy Ryce Center for Victims of Predatory Abduction organization stemmed from the surviving father of a nine-year-old boy, Jimmy Ryce, who was abducted, sexually assaulted, and killed by a sexual predator in September 1995. Also noteworthy is how well Copper interacted with children. Students at Pasco County-area schools were graced with his presence on occasion. Given that Copper's special trait is to utilize his phenomenal sense of smell so as to "track" missing children, it made for an indelible legacy to form bonds with all children. According to the Jimmy Ryce Center website, Bloodhounds have a 60-time greater scent-sniffing ability than German Shepherds.
Although no Bloodhound was used in the search for his abducted son in 1995, Jim Ryce feels a Bloodhound would have potentially located his son before being murdered. Hence, Ryce commenced the Jimmy Ryce Center and donated Copper to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office eight years ago for just such a purpose, among other investigatory traits and highly-specialized skills. As a certified law enforcement officer under state statute, Copper will be accorded a full police funeral akin to those provided for human counterparts.

Suffice it to say, a valuable PCSO member passed away. Rest assured, Copper's legacy will remain eternal in the many lives he has impacted, in both law enforcement partners and the citizenry. The National Law Enforcement Animals Memorial (NLEAM) is still in the process of coming to fruition in Washington, D.C. When completed, Pasco County sheriff's authorities will undoubtedly witness the name "Copper" among the roles recorded at the NLEAM. On this day and for several days thereafter, all Pasco County Sheriff's Office members will adorn the black mourning band across their badges...in honor of a fallen canine partner.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA

Sparks Police are mourning the death of retired K9 officer Cimbo. He died Sunday due to declining health. Cimbo was
 born in 2002 in Ruzomberok in Slovakia. He came to America three years later for training. Cimbo served the City
 of Sparks until his retirement in October 2011 due to health issues. Authorities tell us he was trained in patrol,
 narcotics, SWAT and evidence article searches. Cimbo is credited with 67 apprehensions, with five of
those being physical. He also conducted over 450 narcotics searches. Sparks police say he survived numerous injuries,
including falling through a ceiling and being paralyzed due to a back injury in 2010. He recovered from that
accident and came back to duty until the following year.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA