K9 Eli – Connecticut State Police

Died- 2/19/25
Handler – Det. Timothy Benjamin

Connecticut State Police Mourning Loss of Retired Police Dog Eli

Tolland County law enforcement officials and civilians this week are mourning the passing of a beloved and respected police dog.Connecticut State Police Thursday announced that retired canine officer Eli died on Feb. 19 due to complications from a terminal illness.Eli, a bloodhound, was assigned to Det. Timothy Benjamin of the Eastern District Major Crime Unit and was most recently assigned to Troop C.Benjamin and K9 Eli were graduates of the Connecticut State Police 204th Tracking K9 Class and, as a team, they located numerous missing and “wanted” people, state police officials said.One veteran trooper who shared many a tracking detail with the team said this week that Eli “was a good dog.”Said CSP officials, “Canine Eli was more than just a loyal partner, he was a beloved member of the community, leaving a lasting impact through his dedication, service, and unwavering companionship.”

Tags

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.
| Old Memorials | Site Map
Copyright © 1973 - 2025 Louise Krause Memorials to Fallen K-9's Hosted By PC-GEEK Site Maintained BY Jim Cortina