K9 Heeko – Queensland, Australia

Died – 1/20/25
Handler – Senior Constable Dan Hayward.

Vale retired PD Heeko Passes

It is with sadness the Queensland Police Service (QPS) advises of the death of retired Police Dog (PD) Heeko.PD Heeko passed away on January 20 at 12 years of age due to a sudden illness.He was a valued and much-loved member of the Sunshine Coast Dog Squad, serving as part of the team for five years, alongside his teammate and handler Senior Constable Dan Hayward.PD Heeko, and his four siblings, are offspring of PD Onyx and were born on July 23, 2012 as part of the QPS Puppy Development Program.After completing training in June 2014, PD Heeko was deployed to the Sunshine Coast where he was involved in the location and arrest of countless missing people and offenders. He was known for his speed, agility, and courage.PD Heeko and Senior Constable Hayward were a force to be reckoned with, having both received an Assistant Commissioner’s Certificate following their response to an incident in the Wide Bay area involving a violent armed offender and a lengthy siege.He is also the proud recipient of the Australian War Dog Medal for service.He was a ferocious and trustworthy colleague at work, and a loyal and loving companion at home.Since retiring in 2019, PD Heeko spent his remaining years with the Hayward family in Coolum doing what he loved – going on walks and chasing his ball.With honor he served.

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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.
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