K9 Bingo – Department of Correction, NY

Died 11/8/20

A pricey Department of Correction K-9 died after eating chemicals in his kennel – and jail sources blame budget cutbacks that resulted in the poor pooch suffering overnight. The dog named Bingo chomped a soap container while on a walk Oct. 31, DOC officials confirmed. A careless DOC employee apparently left the container on the ground rather than on a shelf, according to a source. Bingo was left overnight like other K-9s in a kennel near the Otis Bantum Correctional Center on Rikers Island. Staff noticed the dog was unwell the following day. Photos obtained by the Daily News show the pitiful dog foaming at the mouth. A veterinarian performed several unsuccessful procedures on Bingo and put him to sleep on Nov. 8. “Our K-9 unit is nationally recognized for its excellence and plays a key role in keeping our facilities safe. Bingo was a valued member of our team and we are deeply saddened by this loss,” Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Peter Thorne said. Sources said overtime restrictions imposed by DOC brass resulted in no “kennel master” being on duty around the clock. DOC officials pushed back on that claim, insisting that “regular checks” of the kennel have not been disrupted by overtime restrictions. “The Department is looking to save money, but in the interim they spent more by killing the dog and on the vet bill,” a jails source said. “You should have had 24-hour surveillance on those kennels.” The recently-purchased dog cost around $7,000, according to sources. The exact circumstances of how Bingo ate the poison were unclear. DOC officials said the soap container was in a corner outside of Bingo’s cage. The incident is still under investigation.

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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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