K9 Niko – Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Died 12/17/19
Handler – Sergeant James Parise

PPD K9 Niko Dies After Incurable Spinal Degeneration Diagnosis

Pittsfield Police Department (PPD) K9 Niko died on Dec. 17 following an incurable spinal degeneration diagnosis. The seven-year-old German Shepherd’s condition was diagnosed over the summer, but he still enjoyed working until his health deteriorated as winter set in. One day this past fall, K9 Niko helped save the life of an elderly woman with dementia after she fell off of a cliff on Dan Fox Drive. “If he hadn’t located her, I don’t believe she would have survived,” K9 Niko’s human partner, PPD Sergeant James Parise, told The Berkshire Eagle. K9 Niko began falling frequently as his legs progressively failed him, and was eventually unable to get in and out of the patrol car. “His head was still in it – he just couldn’t do it physically,” Sgt. Parise told The Berkshire Eagle. “He worked right up until the end.” On Dec. 17, Sgt. Parise “had to make the toughest decision any K9 handler can be forced to make,” the PPD said in a Facebook post. The duo’s fellow officers escorted them to the Pittsfield Veterinary Hospital for K9 Niko’s final call, The Berkshire Eagle reported. Officers stood at attention out in the snow and saluted Sgt. Parise as left the hospital without his longtime K9 partner. K9 Niko joined the PPD in 2015, after another department planned to euthanize him due to his purported difficult temperament, The Berkshire Eagle reported. “Being an experienced handler, I decided I would give him a shot,” explained Sgt. Parise, who has been a K9 handler for 14 years. “And he was a great dog.”

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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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