K9 Aries – the St. Charles, Illinois

Died – 6/18/17
Handler – Officer Nic Anson

St. Charles Police K-9 Aries dies after 8 years of service

A beloved furry member of the St. Charles Police Department died on Sunday, according to a news release from the City of St. Charles. Aries, a 10-year-old police K-9, had served with the department for eight years and with his designated officer, Nic Anson, since 2008. “This is a difficult time for the department, but especially for Officer Anson,” said St. Charles Police Chief Jim Keegan. “Nic and Aries worked so well together, and Aries truly was a part of Nic’s family.” According to the release, Aries was rushed to the veterinarian Sunday morning. X-rays showed the elderly canine had a large amount of fluid around his abdomen and, after consulting with the veterinarian, the decision was made to put him down. During his time with the department, Aries assisted in narcotics detection, tracking, building searches and apprehensions. He also helped the Kane County SWAT team in operations and was certified by the Illinois State Police. Aries trained with Anson twice a month, and the K-9 passed his most recent certification “with flying colors.” Some of Aries’s most notable work included his tracking of a young girl in Geneva who ran away from her home without shoes or a coat. Aries was even recognized with a special proclamation at a City Council meeting, where he was awarded an edible key to the City. St. Charles Mayor Ray Rogina ordered the City of St. Charles flag lowered to half-staff to honor the talented animal

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.