K9 Jak – Oconee County, Georgia

Died – 2/4/19
Handler – Corporal Roy McKenzie

K9 JAK with Oconee Co. Sheriff’s Office dies

The Oconee Co. Sheriff’s Office is grieving the loss of one of their own. K9 JAK was put to sleep on Feb. 4 due to health issues and the amount of pain he was enduring. The sheriff’s office said JAK was a Belgian Malinois who served 7 years with his handler Corporal Roy McKenzie. They say JAK started his career with the Chapin, SC Police Dept. where he served for 4 years. He then started work at the sheriff’s office in 2011 and retired in December 2018. He was very compassionate in his work and was trained to locate and apprehend fleeing or resisting suspects and find and recover evidence, according to the sheriff’s office. They said he was often seen interacting with students at many Oconee County schools for demonstrations or career days. “JAK was the only K9 in the history of the Sheriff’s Office to successfully figure out a way to get out of his kennel. After unlocking his kennel by unknown means, he was found 27 hours later. JAK was a force to be reckoned with and was feared by every violent suspect he encountered,” said the sheriff’s office release. They said JAK was also very devoted to his handler and the McKenzie family. They say he was constantly protecting his family at home when he wasn’t at work. JAK will be cremated and his ashes will be spread all over the county where he worked and lived. “End of Watch February 4, 2019. Rest Easy JAK, we’ve got it from here.”

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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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