K9 Emma – Kittery, Maine

Died 10/22/19
Handler – Officer Jay Durgin

Kittery’s popular K9 Emma has died

A German shepherd that sniffed for narcotics, delighted seniors and comforted school children, police K-9 Emma died Tuesday at age 15, said Emma’s police partner, officer Jay Durgin. A third-generation Kittery resident, raising a family in the house he grew up in, Durgin serves as the town’s school resource officer so, he said, Emma was known to many Kittery students and graduates. He recalled he and Emma trained for narcotics investigations at the Working Dog Foundation, first in Strafford, then at the Pease International Tradeport campus. As a team, Durgin said, they were involved in many drug investigations and busts with York and Kittery police, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and Maine State Police. Durgin had a kennel for Emma in his office at Traip Academy, where he graduated. The police K-9 was older than his 10- and 12-year-old daughters, so she was always in their lives. He said he brought her regularly to the Kittery Estates home for elderly residents and “they loved it.” “She was a very friendly dog,” said her handler. Durgin said Emma retired from police work in 2015 and became a family pet and “couch potato.” He said her loyalty to him made her the occasional “devil” when, if he didn’t take her wherever he went, she’d dust the house with a bag of flour, or drag trash around. “It was like, ‘You want to leave me? I’ll show you,’” he recalled. At the end of Emma’s life, Durgin said, he was carrying her outside and his wife Casey was spoon feeding her. “She was definitely ready,” he said. “There was no doubt it was time.” He said students, fellow police officers and the community-at-large have been contacting him and his family with well wishes about their loss of their 15-year companion. “The outpouring of support has been unbelievable and it’s helped a lot,” Durgin said. “It’s hard to explain the feeling. It’s a terrible thing.” Durgin said he has no plans of returning to work as a K-9 officer because of family obligations and, he said, “It’s a young man’s game.” The Durgins plan to have a private memorial at their home.

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.