K9 Rosie – Forest Preserve District, Illinois

Handler – Tracy Chapman

Forest Preserve District’s First K-9 Officer Passes Away

The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s former search and rescue bloodhound passed away over the Labor Day weekend. The 12-year-old canine, Rosie, was diagnosed with arthritis in early 2012, and retired later that year after the illness prevented her from being able to take on the rigors required for search and rescue operations, according to a news release from the Forest Preserve District of Will County. After an incident in 2005 that required a tracking dog, District officials decided to acquire a K-9 to patrol the Forest Preserve’s thousands of acres, according to Forest Preserve Public Information Officer Cindy Cain. Forest Preserve Officer (now Chief of Police) Tracy Chapman volunteered to become Rosie’s handler. She spent two weeks training with the then 2-year-old bloodhound at Canines for Kids in North Carolina, a non-profit that trains search dogs and their handlers. During the seven years Rosie was with the District, she successfully assisted several municipal police departments in locating missing persons and in criminal investigations, Cain said. And she became a goodwill ambassador for the District, visiting schools and attending public events. Two annual fundraising events were held for the lovable bloodhound, and people came by the hundreds to support her. Rosie became a member of Chapman’s family, and she remained with them for the remainder of her life. She would have been 13 on Sept. 21, 2016. “Rosie was my partner, pet, friend, and family,” Chapman said in a news release. “She will be greatly missed.” In 2013, Jullo, a German shepherd, became the District’s new K-9 officer.

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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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