K9 LLSA – Horry County – South Carolina

Handler – handler, L/Cpl. Whitmire

K-9 Ilsa experienced a medical emergency and, despite medical care, the decision had to be made to allow her to cross the rainbow bridge. Please keep K-9 Ilsa’s handler, L/Cpl. Whitmire, and the rest of our Horry County Police Department family in your thoughts as they navigate this tough time. Losing a partner is never easy; losing a friend and companion is all the worse. K-9 Ilsa served Horry County Police Department for six years, working units ranging from Street Crimes and Narcotics & Vice to the Community Outreach Team. K-9 handler Whitmire shared the following about K-9 Ilsa: “I was so proud and honored to be her handler. She loved to work, was ready to go any time of the day or night and, as temperamental as she could be, she always looked out for me. She was a good girl who left this world too quickly. I couldn’t ask for a better partner as little time as we had together. I’ll never forget being flagged down that ‘two dogs were fighting in my truck.’ That was just her upset that I left her in the truck without taking her inside with me. Life isn’t the same right now, we have this huge hole at home and at work without our girl. Ilsa was more than my partner, she was a member of my family. “If I could be half the person my dog was, I’d be twice the human I am” (Charles Yu).”

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.