K9 Lark – Goldsboro, North Carolina

Handler – Officer Christian Brady

‘Loyal and dedicated partner’: Goldsboro police mourns death of K-9 officer

Police in Goldsboro are mourning the loss of one of their own this week.In a message to the community on Thursday, the police department announced that K-9 Lark recently died.“The Goldsboro Police Department is saddened to announce the passing of K-9 Lark, a loyal and dedicated partner to Officer Christian Brady,” the message said.Police said K-9 Lark assisted officers in drug interdiction, searches and tracking, as he played a “crucial role in keeping our community safe.”“Beyond his service, he was a beloved member of Officer Brady’s family, sharing an unbreakable bond both on and off duty,” the message said. “We honor K-9 Lark’s dedication and sacrifice.”In the social media post, police asked to keep Officer Brady and his family in their thoughts as they remember their “courageous and faithful partner.”

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.