K9 Trex – Yakima, Washington

Died – 11/14/22
Handler – Officer Mark McKinney

Yakima Police Dog Trex Dies After Long Illness

One of Yakima Police Department’s two patrol dogs has died.K9 Trex was euthanized Monday following a months-long illness, YPD spokesperson Yvette Inzunza said. He was 5 years old.Trex, a Czech shepherd, had medical issues that worsened in recent months, Inzunza said. He was seen by various veterinarians, including Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in an attempt to diagnose the problem and find a treatment, including appetite stimulants, according to the police. Trex’s illness caused him to lose weight, dropping from 85 to 55 pounds.At one point, Trex was only eating rotisserie chicken that was hand-fed to him by his handler, Officer Mark McKinney, according to YPD’s Facebook page. Like many patrol dogs, Trex was from the Czech Republic, where he was born Jan. 2, 2017. He began his duties in the YPD in August 2018, assigned to McKinney. In the course of his service, Trex assisted in the arrest of many suspects and located evidence, Inzunza said.In June, Trex participated in a standoff on Summitview Avenue, where he was sent in to assist officers in arresting the suspect, who also bit Trex on the ear.Currently, K9 Zorro is the department’s only patrol dog.

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.