In Loving Memory of
K9 NOMAK
December 10, 2014
Handler: Officer Andy Kovlakas
Norwalk Police Department
1 Monroe St.
Norwalk, CT 06854
Norwalk police K-9 passes away
t is with great sadness the Norwalk Department of Police Service announces the passing of retired police service dog “Nomak.” Nomak lost his battle with myelopathy and passed away on Dec. 10. Nomak began service with the Norwalk Police Department in May of 2006 and retired in January of 2012. In those six years of service, Nomak was responsible for several narcotics arrests in Norwalk and surrounding towns. In May of 2007 Nomak and his handler, Officer Andy Kovlakas, were named the department’s “Officers of the Month.” Officer Kovlakas and Nomak responded to a residence in which a male subject broke into an ex-girlfriend’s apartment.
The male subject, carrying a large butcher knife, chased the female into the bathroom where she was able to lock herself in.
As the male was breaking down the door, she was able to cal 911. Upon hearing the call to the police, the male fled the apartment. Nomak conducted a building search of the common areas of the building and apprehended the male, who was still holding the knife.
Upon retirement, Nomak was able to enjoy life with Officer Kovlakas and his family. He passed away as Officer Kovlakas
held him and thanked him for a great nine years together. Officer Kovlakas and K9 Nomak were members of
the CPWDA from 2007-2011. submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory of
K9 NALA
November 11, 2014
Handler: Officer Troy Chew
University of Illinois
Bomb-sniffing dog dies
For a decade, Nala the bomb-sniffing dog helped patrol University of Illinois athletic events and was the canine to call when potentially explosive packages were found.
She retired as a working dog this past August after a nerve condition progressively robbed her of feeling in her hind legs. But she continued to make her home with UI Officer Troy Chew, living out the rest of her days as a Chew family pet until she died Nov. 11. On her next birthday, which was coming up in February 2015, she would have been 13, Chew said. Having to have his longtime four-legged partner put down was tough, he said.
The youngest of his three children took the loss of this dog especially hard, and as for him, "it was the hardest thing I ever had to do," Chew said. A Belgian Malinois — a type of sheepherding dog often favored for police work — Nala was the first bomb-sniffing dog UI police ever had. She was brought in during the aftermath of 9/11, when there was a heightened focus on explosives, Chew said. Nala came to UI police in 2004 as a 2-year-old dog, already trained in her work and taking her commands from Chew in Dutch. Chew, who is also a UI patrol officer, took her for additional training that was largely for him to learn how to interpret her body responses, he said.
The "passive alert" given by Nala and other explosive-sniffing dogs is sitting or lying down at the location of the odor they're trained to find, he said. Chew said he and Nala were called out when suspicious packages, such as abandoned backpacks, were found, and they were also part of the security at UI football and basketball games.
Fortunately, Nala never had to find a real bomb. But Chew kept her trained and interested in her work by setting up explosives for her to find, and always rewarded her after each exercise with a tennis ball. At Chew's home, Nala lived in a kennel and was taken for walks and spent time out in the yard with the family.
She was kept in a separate space from the family's pet dog, a black lab named Tori, but the two dogs got along just fine, he said.
Nala was still sharp when she retired some months after Chew began noticing her favoring her left hind leg and took her to the vet, and even as her leg condition worsened, she remained sharp, he said. Toward the end of Nala's life, she had developed sores on
her back paws from dragging them. Chew said he needed to lift up her food bowl to her so she could eat, and in the last
week she'd lost interest in eating entirely. Chew began working with a new partner dog, Zuri, when Nala retired.
Making the transition wasn't that hard then, "because I still had Nala," he recalled. Zuri is a 17-month-old female Belgian Malinois
who arrived untrained, but can now find a bomb if she needs to, Chew said. Like Nala, she also comes home with him every
night and enjoys a reward for her work, which for her is a rubber ball on a rope. Chew, 41, had dogs growing up and enjoys
working with them. He worked for the state Department of Corrections and Danville police before coming to the UI in 2001.
He hopes to get another good 10 years on the job with Zuri, and by then he'll be nearing retirement, he said.
Barring something tragic happening to Zuri along the way, Chew said, "she will be my last dog, probably." Zuri, the UI's new
bomb-sniffing dog, is one of two in Champaign County. The other, named Gunner, works at the county courthouse and is
handled by court security Officer Tim Pavlik. Gunner replaced the county sheriff's office's first bomb-sniffing dog,
Duke, who died in 2009. submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory of
K9 NERO
October 16, 2014
Handler: Sergeant Michael McHale
Sarasota Police Department
2099 Adams Lane
Sarasota FL 34237
WEBSITE - http://www.sarasotapd.org/
Sarasota Police Department Announces Passing of K9 Officer Nero
The Sarasota Police Department is sad to announce the passing of K9 Officer Nero. K-9 Nero, 9, passed away Thursday
morning after a brief battle with cancer. K-9 Nero was the loyal partner to Sarasota Police Sergeant Michael McHale.
K-9 Nero, a German Shepard, was born in the Czech Republic in June 2005 and joined the Sarasota Police Department
in June 2006, serving and protecting for eight (8) years before his passing. He served the City of Sarasota proudly, being
certified in both Patrol and Narcotics. K-9 Nero spent time with children and adults throughout the City of Sarasota
during presentations for schools, community groups and the Sarasota Police Department Citizen Academy.
K-9 Officer Nero and his partner, Sgt. McHale, have been a shining example of the impact that a K-9 team can have
since 2006. They have had the uncanny ability to respond to almost any criminal incident and address it efficiently and
effectively and turn around and represent the Police Department at a community or school event within the same shift
without missing a beat. Our K-9 Officers are incredibly effective Police Officers; they are fearless, courageous,
and will not hesitate to lay down their life to save a fellow Officer or citizen. K-9 Officer Nero exemplified those
qualities. SPD K-9 Officers are members of our Police family and K-9 Officer Nero’s passing will be felt by our
organization for some time.” said Captain Patrick Robinson, Sarasota Police Department.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory of
K9 NICK
September 20, 2014
Handler: Officer Thomas Reilly
DeKalb Police Department
700 Lincoln Hwy.
DeKalb, IL
1st DeKalb Police canine dies at 11
K9
Nick,
Dekalb
Police
Department's
first
canine,
died
Saturday
due
to
declining
health.
The 11-year-old German shepherd
was
imported
from
Holland
by
Canine
Associates
International
in
2006,
according
to
the
2010
DeKalb
Police
Annual
Report.
Officer
Thomas
Reilly
was
the
dog’s
handler.
“On the morning of Sept. 20, [Nick] had steak for breakfast and his
handler
spent
his
last
two
hours
alone
with
him
where
they
played
fetch
and
hung
out
in
the
yard,”
according
to
police.
submitted
by
Jim
Cortina,
Dir.
CPWDA
In Loving
Memory of
K9 NARCO
September 4,
2014
Handler:
Officer
James Taylor
Rusk County
Sheriff's
Office
Hallsville,
Texas
Officer says
goodbye to
his police
dog, friend
Narco
Thursday
afternoon in
Hallsville,
members from
many law
enforcement
agencies paid
their respects
to Narco, a
retired police
dog who was put
to sleep that
morning. But
tears soon
turned into
smiles as they
remembered what
he meant to the
force, and
especially what
he meant to the
man sharing that
close bond.
Officer James
Taylor now works
as a police
officer in
Fairview, before
that he was with
the Rusk County
Sheriff's
Office. But he
got his start
with Tatum PD,
which is where
he and Narco
met, and at
first, their
relationship was
a bit rocky. But
it's left a
lasting impact,
as on Thursday,
he said goodbye
to his partner.
When it comes to
a close
friendship, home
is never defined
by a spot on a
map, but rather
how close you
are to one
another. "He's
been with me
everywhere I've
gone, different
states,
different
houses, all East
Texas different
places and
everywhere we
went, he was
always right
there, and it
never really
bothered him
where we were as
long as he was
around," said
Taylor about
Narco. Officer
Taylor and
Narco, had that
type of
relationship,
which lasted
longer than
Narco's time on
the force. But
as the years
went by, Narco
developed a
disorder, where
his spine slowly
began to
degenerate.
"Just got to the
point where he
was in pain and
had trouble with
just basic
walking and
standing up.
He's very proud,
he didn't want
to admit it or
show it, but, it
was time," said
Taylor. So
Thursday morning
he was put to
sleep and that
afternoon laid
to rest in
Hallsville. "He
spent his last
few months here
and then it was
only fitting
that he rests
here," said
Taylor. The
decision was
short notice,
and Taylor only
let a few people
know. But when
5:30 PM rolled
around, faces
from his and
Narco's past
showed up, along
with other
officers, and
fellow dogs, who
showed up to pay
their respects.
"A lot of
people look at
this as just a
dog but, the
ones that do
this kind of
work and work
around them, or
get the
privilege of
working with
them, they're a
lot more than
that," said
Taylor. As
stories were
shared, and
memories
recalled, the
scene became
quite clear.
This was more
than a handler
saying goodbye
to his K-9 unit,
it was a friend,
telling his
buddy, he'll see
him soon. "Today
was tough and,
it was short
notice but, in
the end I'm
supremely
confident that
he is right now
charging
somebody else
down somewhere.
That's what he's
doing, so it
ends on a good
note," said
Taylor.
submitted
by Jim Cortina,
Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory of
K9 NYX
July 9, 2014
Handler: Officer Zachary Lee
Miller
Mills Police Department
4800 W Yellowstone Hwy
Mills, WY 82644
WEBSITE -
http://millspd.org/
K-9 Dead; Officer Accused of
Leaving Dog in Car for 6
Hours
A Mills Police officer
is accused of leaving
his K-9 dog in a police
vehicle for over 6 hours
with no air
conditioning,
ventilation
or water as a result of
those six hours in the
heat. The animal was
found dead in the patrol
vehicle. Our own Jeff
Platt
has been working to
gather details for
several weeks now and
joins us live from
outside the Mills Police
Department.
According to an
affidavit obtained from
Natrona County Circuit
Court. The dog was K-9
Nyx and he was in the
custody of Officer Zachary Lee Miller of the Mills Police Department.
A division of criminal
investigations officer
looked into the incident
and describes video
footage that shows Nyx
being left
in the patrol vehicle
with the windows up
shortly before 6 A.M. on
July 9th and Officer
Miller not returning to
the
vehicle until shortly after noon when he found Nyx dead in the back of the
car. The affidavit also
says it was 86 degrees
outside that day and the patrol car was parked behind the station. Officer
Miller was accompanied
by Officer Jake Bigelow
who was training under officer Miller that day. The affidavit outlines
Miller's recollection of
the events. Miller says
he yelled at Bigelow for
not leaving the air
conditioner on.
Although Miller
acknowledged he was the
one responsible for the
animal. We've asked
Mills Police Chief Bryon
Preciado
for an interview but he
declined to comment. He
did say officer Miller
is still employed by the
Mills Police Department
and is on leave right now for unrelated personal reasons. Miller entered a
plea of not guilty for
the misdemeanor
charge of not providing a dog with adequate water, food, or protection
from the weather. Miller
is scheduled to appear
in court soon and Jeff will keep you updated as we learn more on this
developing story.
submitted by Jim
Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory of
MK9 (Nine)
(need proper name...help)
June 20, 2014
Afghanistan
Three NATO Troops and Military K9
Killed in Afghanistan Blast
A Taliban attack killed three NATO
soldiers and a military dog in
southern Afghanistan on Friday,
officials said, in the
latest sign of the insurgents'
capability as the coalition winds
down operations. NATO's
International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) will end its
combat mission later this year,
leaving the Afghan police and army
to take
on full responsibility for battling
the resilient Taliban insurgency.
"Three ISAF service members and one
ISAF
canine died following an improvised
explosive device attack in southern
Afghanistan today," the NATO force
said in a statement.
Military dogs are often used to
sniff for explosives, though they
have proved unpopular with Afghan
civilians
as they are seen as unclean by many
Muslims. In line with ISAF policy,
it did not identify the nationality
of the dead
troops, though most soldiers in the
south are American. The attack
occurred in the volatile Nad Ali
district of
Helmand province, according to
Afghan officials. "The bomb was
carried on a motorbike and detonated
close to
an ISAF patrol," the provincial
governor's spokesman Omar Zawak told
AFP. The Taliban claimed
responsibility via
a text message sent to the media.
The last major incident involving
NATO troops was ten days ago when
five US soldiers were killed in an
accidental
"friendly fire" air strike in Zabul
province during clashes with
insurgents. All 50,000 remaining
NATO combat troops
are due to leave the country by the
end of this year, though a small US
deployment will remain until the end
of 2016 if a long-delayed deal is
signed between Washington and Kabul.
need name of K9
In Loving Memory of
K9 NIKKOLAI
June 2014
Handler: SCO Myron Kelley
New Jersey Department of Corrections
It is with great GREAT sadness that
we report the passing of K9 Nikkolai,
a Patrol/Narcotic Trained Black
Russian Terrier,
with the New Jersey Department of
Corrections. Recently, K9 Nikkolai
and his handler SCO Myron Kelley
were featured in the 2014 Cops and
Dogs Calendar (photo credit).
K9 Nikkolai touched the lives of
anyone who crossed his path with his
charming personality, impressive
size,
and his amazing abilities. K9 Nikkolai was a tremendous part of the NJ DOC
K9 Unit and will
be greatly missed by ALL who knew
him.
On behalf of the Capital K9
Association's Executive Board and
Members, may you rest in peace
gentle giant…
thank you for your service. Our
thoughts and prayers are with his
handler SCO Myron Kelley,
the NJ DOC Family, and all who had the pleasure of knowing him.
submitted by GLOUCESTER COUNTY
POLICE K9 ASSOCIATION <noreply@gcpk9a.com>
In Loving Memory of
K9 NITRO & K9 HAWK
April 22, 2014 (fire)
Handler: Officer Brett
Armstrong
New York
Two police K9s
die in fire
Two highly trained police
K9s of the DEC's Division of
Law Enforcement and a family
dog died recently of smoke
inhalation
from a house fire
at their handler's
residence. Environmental
Conservation Officer Brett
Armstrong and his family
were away
from their
Chenango County residence on
April 22. When they
returned, they discovered
their home was on fire and
full
of smoke. Responding
firefighters found the K9s,
along with the family dog,
dead inside. One of the K9s,
"Hawk",
a 3-year-old Belgian
Malinois, had been with the
DEC and Armstrong for less
than a year.
The dog was certified in
shell casing and firearm
detection and was in the
process of completing his
training this spring,
according to DEC. The other
K9, "Nitro," was a
10-year-old German shepherd
who was well-known and used
by officers
for his wildlife
detection and tracking
abilities. The dog worked
with DEC officers for nine
years and was frequently
used by officers for
demonstrations in numerous
public appearances
throughout Region 7. The
family dog, "Shadow" was an
adult, chocolate Labrador
retriever.
There are currently seven
trained DEC K9s that work
with environmental
conservation officers across
the state. They're
used for
wildlife detection,
tracking, spent
shell/firearm detection and
to protect their handlers.
While the Armstrongs
do have
insurance, the house and its
contents were declared a
total loss.
submitted by Jim Cortina,
Dir. CPWDA
(ahhhh... poor deer) - LRK
In Loving Memory of
K9 NERO
February 14, 2014
Handler: Officer James Parise
Pittsfield Police Department
39 Allen St
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Pittsfield Police Mourn Loss of
K-9 Nero
It is with deep sadness and regret
that the Pittsfield Police
Department announces the passing of
K-9 Nero. Nero died on Friday, Feb.
14, 2014, after a long illness. He
had worked alongside his handler,
Officer James Parise, since 2006. In
his nearly eight years with the
department, Nero responded to 419
K-9 calls in Pittsfield, throughout
Berkshire County and elsewhere in
Western Massachusetts. During that
time, he was responsible for the
apprehension of numerous dangerous
felons and the seizure of more than
40 pounds of illegal drugs. In 2009,
K-9 Nero received the department's
Life Saving Commendation for his
actions in locating a woman who had
wandered away from a homeless
shelter in freezing temperatures and
not dressed for the weather. Nero
located the missing woman trying
to keep warm under a pile of leaves.
In 2012, Nero tracked an elderly
man who had wandered from his home
in freezing cold temperatures. After
a two-mile track, Nero located the
man in a barn, where he was seeking
shelter and trying to stay warm. In
addition to his enforcement and
operations duties, K-9 Nero
participated in hundreds of K-9
demonstrations for schoolchildren
throughout Berkshire County. Nero
was requested on a regular basis by
the elementary schools in
Pittsfield, where he and Officer
Parise would teach young children
about police work, the K9 program,
and most importantly, how to be act
around dogs in order to avoid being
accidently bitten. K-9 Nero was a
valued and productive member of the
Pittsfield Police Department and
will be missed greatly.
submitted by Jim Cortina,
Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory of
K9 NINJA
February 2, 2014
Handler:
Patrolman Michael Anderson
Youngstown Police Department
116 W
Boardman St
Youngstown,
OH
Police dog Ninja put down
One of the police department’s first police dogs had
to be put down over the weekend. Ninja, who had been
on the force since 2007, had to be euthanized Sunday
because of complications from kidney failure, police
officials said Tuesday. Ninja was almost 9 years
old. His handler, Patrolman Michael Anderson, said
in an email Tuesday: “Not much to say except he was
an awesome dog and excellent in his work as a police
canine. All the way to the end I could see in his
eyes that he wanted to please me but could no longer
do so.” Anderson also added that saying goodbye to
his partner and friend was one of the hardest things
he has had to do.
“Going to miss my canine, Ninja,” Anderson wrote.
Ninja joined the department in March 2007 and was 2
when he was paired with Anderson. Ninja also was
part of a wave that saw four dogs join the
department that year. Now, from that class, the only
dog left is Helo, who works with Patrolman Josh
Kelly. Lt. Frank Rutherford had one of the dogs, but
he is no longer a dog handler since being promoted
from detective sergeant. Former officer Ron
Jankowski, who is on medical disability, was the
other handler. In November, the department added
three dogs. Their handlers are officers Jessica
Shields, Nick Bailey and Martin Stachowicz.
Police Chief Robin Lees said Ninja was a valuable
asset to the department and will be missed. “It’s a
credit to Ninja that we extended the canine program
because of the success by him and the other dogs,”
Lees said. Over the years Ninja had quite an
eventful career and had been used to find drugs
during traffic stops. He also was assaulted by a man
in February 2012 who tried to run from a traffic
stop. Anderson and Ninja have received several
departmental awards for their work over the
years. Capt.. Kevin Mercer, who is Anderson’s
supervisor, said it is not yet known if the
department will have a memorial service for Ninja.
He said Ninja will be cremated, and Anderson will
be allowed to keep his ashes. Mercer said Ninja had
been sick for some time. “He [Ninja] had some
ongoing issues he’d been battling,” Mercer said.
Because of Anderson’s job as a union official, he
often worked days and there were usually two dogs on
the day shift with Kelly also working. Now there
will just be one police dog on day turn, Mercer
said. Ninja is the first of the department’s dogs
who joined in 2007 to have died, Mercer said. The
others were retired.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory of
K9 NERO
January
16, 2014
Handler: Patrolman Ted Bell
Stow
Police Department
3800 Darrow Rd.
Stow, OH
Police dog
Nero mourned, remembered as 'universally loved'
Ted Bell and Nero were
partners for nine years. Nero retired from active duty this
past fall.
Whether all dogs go to heaven or not, those who knew Nero would
very likely agree that he belongs there. "He was a good dog,"
said Police Chief Louis Dirker. "He enjoyed his work. I guess
that's the best thing you can say about him. He loved being
here." The Stow police K-9, a nine-year department veteran who
retired in October, died Jan. 16. He was 10. "I would say he was
universally loved," said Mayor Sara Drew. "A great dog, a great
police dog." The police department posted photos of Nero on the
department's Facebook page with an announcement of his death, as
well as a sketch of Nero drawn by a Lakeview Elementary School
student.
As of Jan. 22, about two dozen people had left comments
expressing their sorrow. "Oh how sad!" wrote one woman. "I too
want to send my condolences to Officer Bell and his family! Like
all German Shepherds, Nero is now always watchful and will watch
and wait....good boy!" "Oh my goodness, so sad. Nero will
definitely be missed," wrote another woman. Nero lived with his
handler, Patrolman Ted Bell, both before and after his
retirement. "Nero will obviously be missed by Officer Bell and
his family as well as his Stow PD family," stated the Facebook
announcement. "I'm just grateful he had such a great family to
live with," said Drew.
Bell said that
two weeks before Nero's death, he took him to a veterinarian to
have a growth checked out on his shoulder. An X-ray also
included his chest and it was discovered that Nero had lung
cancer. Bell said the prognosis was poor and the veterinarian
told Bell to just take him home with pain killers and feed him
what he wanted to eat.
"He did pretty
good for a couple of weeks," said Bell. "I managed the pain. He
went at home with his family around him." The city has two other
police dogs, Colt and Spectrum, the latter of whom joined last
year, increasing the department's roster of dogs from two to
three. Bell now works with a new dog, Mingo.
Bell said that while Mingo and Nero never fought, they never
became close either, with Nero, "the old man," wanting to be left
alone by the youngster. He said Nero "struggled a bit" in
adapting to his retirement. "He knew I was ready to go to work
and he wanted to go with me," said Bell. Nero, a black sable
German Shepherd, was born on June 19, 2003. He joined the force
in 2004, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Bruno,
Bell's previous K-9 partner. He was trained and state certified
to both sniff out drugs and track people, as well as to protect
Bell and other officers. "He was an excellent tracker," said
Dirker. "He was really known for his nose."
According to the Facebook announcement, "Nero trained and worked
many hours throughout his nine years with us; was successful in
many searches; located drugs on numerous occasions; apprehended
many suspects after successfully tracking them; seized money was
awarded to the city on numerous occasions after Nero located it.
Nero was also involved in clearing several cases after locating
evidence." Nero's finest hour, or certainly one of them, came in
May 2009. Dirker said two men robbed the BP service station at
routes 59 and 91, shooting an attendant, who survived, in the
stomach. Police chased the robbers south to Tallmadge Circle,
where they crashed into a tree.
Both robbers got
out of the vehicle and one fell to the ground and was arrested.
The other, however, crouched at the side of the vehicle and
refused to raise his hands. "Nero went in there and took him
down," said Dirker, adding the man was then arrested. That
action earned Nero the American Red Cross of Summit and Portage
Counties' Acts of Courage award in the Animal Hero category in
March 2010.
Bell said that when he first got
Nero, he could not help comparing him to Bruno, but over time
realized that Nero would work out fine.
"He was a great
dog," said Bell. "He turned out to be just as good as my old
dog. He never gave up. He was full of courage."
Other Facebook
comments responding to the news of Nero's death also showed he
had an impact. "RIP Nero... Thank you for your service!" wrote a
woman. "Aww. Well done, Nero. RIP," wrote another. "From all of
us at Summit Metro K9 our condolences. RIP Nero," said another
comment. "RIP Nero," wrote a woman. "Ted, you're an amazing
handler and a fine teacher. I'm so sorry for your loss." "It's
sad for the city and sad for the police department," Drew told
the Stow Sentry.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
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Memorials
to Fallen K-9s