K9 Scout – Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

Handler – Master CPO Richard Howald

Beloved K9 dies after 9 years of service

K9 Scout was a yellow Labrador Retriever who served as a K9 for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. She arrived as part of the three-dog K9 team in 2011 which started the current DWR K9 program. DWR Conservation Police and Master CPO Richard Howald worked with Scout from 2011 to 2018, and she was a part of his family for 12 years.”When we got her, my kids were going off to school, and they’re in high school now,” said Howald. “She was great at tracking and locating evidence. She located many missing kids and Alzheimer’s patients. It’s one thing to find a criminal, but when you can find missing people and help them, it’s even more rewarding.” Scout’s hard work helping out on the K9 team was cut short temporarily in September 2017, when she was diagnosed with cancer in her hind left leg. The leg was amputated shortly after, but even the loss of a limb didn’t stop Scout from going back to work. She rejoined the K9 team for six more months before retiring at her scheduled retirement date in Spring 2018.From then on she lived with Howlad’s family as a pet, enjoying her well-earned life of comfort in retirement. “She was one of those dogs that worked hard when she was working, but you’d never know it just from meeting her. She was pretty laid-back; she took it easy until it was time to work,” Howald said of Scout. “I’d still run her every once in a while, have her find some articles, just to keep her happy and moving, but she mostly just hung out at our house.”On August 17 K9 Scout died at 13 years old. Her loss will be remembered by all she helped save and protect Virginia’s citizens and wildlife, especially by Howald and his family as a reliable coworker and beloved companion.“These working dogs become part of the family,” Howald said.

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.