K9 Titan – Mentor, Ohio

Died 8/3/21

Handler –Officer Terry Wurgler

Mentor police mourn death of retired K9 officer

Mentor Police Department on Wednesday announced the death of retired K9 officer Titan. K9 Titan died peacefully on Aug. 3 at 10.5 years old, according to a department Facebook post. Mentor police said K9 Titan “proudly served” for 9 years with his handler, Ptl. Wurgler. He retired in 2019 and lived with the Wurgler family. K9 Titan holds the record at Mentor Police Department for most K9 apprehensions, the post said. He caught 13 people, including two in one night. Mentor police said Titan was a very decorated K9 officer, with two Top Dog awards for suspect apprehension and one award for tracking. K9 Titan was “full of energy and highly skilled” as well as “extremely lovable,” Mentor police wrote in the post. Mentor police shared several photos from K9 Titan’s life.

 

Submitted By Jim Cortina

James A. Cortina has been involved with police dogs since 1972 and currently on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Jim has been appointed as Treasurer since its inception in 1991. Jim is one of the charter members of the C.P.W.D.A. organization. Since 1975 he has been a certified professional dog trainer and received his Master Trainer Certification in 1985. During his career he has provided armed K-9 strike crowd control for security agencies in Connecticut and out of state security companies. In conjunction with other members of the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. Board of Directors, he helped to draft Connecticut Statute 53-247(e) "Intentional Injury or Killing of Police K-9" which was passed by the Senate in 1993 and also assisted in implementing the prestigious Daniel Wasson Memorial K-9 Award in 1992. In 1993 he helped coordinate the North American Police Work Dog Association Nationals in New London, Connecticut. He was appointed Training Director for the New London County Work Dog Association from 1985-1987. He performed decoy work for Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc. in police K-9 demonstrations, trained several local police department canines, and coordinated training workshops for out-of-state police departments. He participated in the United States Police K-9 Association Trials in Croton on Hudson, New York in 1985 as a decoy. He is an avid photographer and received photography awards in 1989, 1990, and 1991 and currently takes photographs for the Connecticut Police Work Dog Association Inc.