K9 Ram – New Hampshire State Police

Died 1/12/25
Handler – Trooper First Class James Powers

The New Hampshire State Police has announced the passing of K-9 Ram, a nine-year-old Belgian Malinois who served with distinction alongside Trooper First Class James Powers for over eight years. K-9 Ram passed away on January 12, 2025, due to an unexpected medical event.K-9 Ram and Trooper First Class Powers began their partnership on February 29, 2016, undergoing 24 weeks of rigorous training before being certified as a patrol and narcotics detection team. In June 2022, the duo took on an additional assignment as part of the State Police SWAT Team, further enhancing their ability to serve the state of New Hampshire.Throughout their remarkable career, K-9 Ram and Trooper First Class Powers played an instrumental role in numerous deployments. Their teamwork contributed to locating missing individuals and aiding in the arrest and prosecution of fugitives, leaving a lasting impact on public safety across the state.“K-9 Ram’s dedication and service were exemplary,” the State Police shared. “Rest easy, K-9 Ram. Your fellow teammates will take it from here.”K-9 Ram’s legacy will be remembered as a testament to the bond between police canines and their handlers, and his contributions to the community will not be forgotten.

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.