K9 Ares – Portage, Wisconsin

Died – 3/22/22
Handler – Sgt. Ben Neumann

Portage Police Dept. mourns sudden loss of K-9 Ares

The Portage Police Dept. lost one of its active-duty K-9′s early Tuesday morning. Ares worked alongside officers for the past seven years and is credited with countless drug-related arrests and other captures, the police department wrote in a post, saying he “was a loyal servant, focused, and determined to please.” “With enthusiasm, Ares truly enjoyed patrolling the streets of Portage and assisting other agencies to fulfill our agency’s mission statement all the while putting smiles on the faces of many children who adored him,” the post continued. His bond with children also helped make Ares a popular fixture at community events, according to the police department, adding that the community has always been a major supporter of their K-9 program. he will be missed by that community and the entire department, but most especially his handler, Sgt. Ben Neumann and his family. The police department’s post explained Ares suffered a sudden medical condition before passing away at 4:44 a.m. and thanked VCA Veterinary Emergency Service & Specialty Center, in Middleton, for their care in this recent emergency. The department also credited Dr. Cooper and the Portage Veterinary Clinic for their care during Ares’ service. A memorial service for Ares will be announced at a later date.

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.