K9 Wyatt – Waverly Township, Pennsylvania

Handler – Officer Angelo Rudolfi

The Waverly Township Police Department Announce Death of Their Beloved K9 Wyatt

It is with sorrow in our hearts that we announce the tragic passing of our beloved K9 Wyatt. The depth of this unexpected heartache cannot be expressed with words. In his 2 years with the Waverly Township Police Department, Wyatt left his massive paw prints on the hearts of many in the community. He loved serving his community, whether it was having lunch at the Waverly Deli, walks or playtime at the Waverly Comm, or when called upon to assist neighboring departments in narcotic searches and/or tracking. He loved his training so much he couldn’t control his excitement to go to work. When off duty, Wyatt was a loving family dog. He needed only 2 things to be content – his handler, Angelo Rudolfi, and a frisbee. He loved the frisbee so much, he would drool over it being thrown for him. Wyatt being of big statured loved being a lap dog at home. Wyatt was glued to my hip at all times during the day, especially when he wanted his ice cubes for dessert. I would like to thank the following individuals and businesses for their help and support over the past 2 years – Waverly Township Board of Supervisors, Chief of Police – Kenneth James, Geisinger Marworth, Trainer Alan Finn, K9 Axel – Handler Robert Williams Carbondale Police Dept, Stately Pet Supply, Schultzville Animal Hospital, Lucky Paws Grooming, and all of the friends, family and supporters along the way who donated to get the K9 unit started and running. I would also like to thank Northeast Veterinarian Referral Hospital in Plains and Cornell University Animal Hospital for their care of Wyatt. A memorial service for Wyatt will be announced in a later post.

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.