K9 Balu – Rutherford, Tennessee

1st Handler- Detective Bo Davis

2nd Handler- Detective Mike Hoekstra

3rd Handler – Detective Mark Gregory

Rutherford County K-9 Balu remembered as faithful partner

Retired Rutherford County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Balu was remembered as a detective’s best friend after providing eight years of crime fighting service. “He was a great partner,” Detective Mark Gregory said of Balu who died last week at age 12. “He watched over me any second I was out of the car on traffic stops and everything else.” The German shepherd had joined the force in 2011, working with Detective Bo Davis and Detective Mike Hoekstra before going on to become Gregory’s partner. The two worked 40-hour weeks together for 4½ years with Balu helping to develop over 100 felony cases, according to Gregory. Balu was trained to detect illegal narcotics and apprehend suspects accused of felonies. Balu led his partners to a number of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine, heroin and 52 pounds of marijuana in his career. On Balu’s final day with the department, he located 12 kilos of cocaine worth about $1 million in a tractor trailer, Gregory said. The K-9 was also trained to sprint toward gunfire. In July of 2017, Balu and Gregory worked to protect each other when two murder suspects began firing rounds into their sheriff’s cruiser during a pursuit on Interstate 24. Neither was injured.After retiring from the K-9 unit in 2019, Balu became a Gregory family pet and spent his time chewing on tires and playing with other dogs.

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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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