K9 Lola – Groton, Massachusetts

Died – 12/4/18
Handler – Officer Nick Beltz

Groton mourns beloved police dog Lola

Less than five months after her initial diagnosis with high-grade B-cell lymphoma, beloved K-9 officer Lola lost her battle with the cancer Dec. 4. The 8-year-old black lab had been the trusted partner of Officer Nick Beltz for six years as the department’s first and only four-legged police officer. Her duties extended beyond sniffing out drugs and tracking down missing people, to Beltz, Lola was a member of the force and the family. “We are together almost constantly,” he said in an October interview with the Voice. “We live together and we work together.” She was also an ambassador for the department and for the town, often entertaining students at the district schools or making appearances at town events. “The outpouring of support from the community has really shown what an impact Lola had in Groton and surrounding towns,” Beltz said in a statement. She received full traditional police honors. On her last day she walked out of the station to two columns of saluting officers. She was cremated. Her ashes are at Beltz’s house, where his family is devastated by the loss of the family member. The Select Board declared, by proclamation, Dec. 4 as “K-9 Lola Day.” As for her replacement, Beltz said, “I believe from conversation with our administration the department would like to continue the K-9 program.” “The department’s reaction was that of grief and sorrow,” according to his statement. “She will be missed but not forgotten. During Lola’s last ride in Beltz’s cruiser, dispatch gave out her “last call” over the radio.

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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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