K9 Cinder – Winnipeg, Canada

‘She will be sadly missed’: First Winnipeg police female service dog dies

Cinder had been living with her handler and his family since she retired from the force in the spring of 2013. The Winnipeg police have bid a sad farewell to their first female service dog. Cinder, who was born into the Winnipeg police’s canine breeding program in 2001, died at 16 years old. She was “laid to rest” on Sept. 25, according to the Winnipeg police’s Facebook page. She was a dual-purpose K9, trained in both tracking and drug profile. She was also the only Canadian police dog featured in “Badge On My Collar II,” a book of short stories on police dogs from around the world. She was known “for her tracking drive and feisty working attitude.”Cinder had been living with her handler and his family since she retired from the force in the spring of 2013.

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.