K9 Cratos – Pennsylvania State Police

Died – 2/14/18
Handler – Trooper David Lock

State Police announce the death of K9 Officer Cratos

State Police announced Wednesday that K9 Officer Cratos, who served as the department’s Human Remains Detection Canine since 2012, has died of congestive heart failure. Cratos, who was based in Hershey, was seven years old. Working with his handler, Trooper David Lock, Cratos searched for, tracked, and located missing persons across the entire Commonwealth and assisted law enforcement efforts in New York, West Virginia and Indiana. Certified through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, Pennsylvania State Police and the National Dog Search Alliance, Cratos was the first dog outside of the FBI to successfully complete the agency’s Human Remains Detection Qualification Course in the last 10 years, police say. “Perhaps even greater than those accomplishments is the closure that K9 Cratos and Trooper Lock were able to provide for so many families (who were) missing loved ones,” the Facebook post read. “Cratos will be deeply missed by his handler and the entire department.”

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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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