K9 Black – Humansdorp, South Africa

Handler – Officer Maurice Konzani

K9 Cop Mourns “Gallant Warrior” Friend and Partner

The police dog Black served his K9 unit well during his lifetime, tracking down stock thieves, finding a lost hiker, and identifying crime scenes, and his handler said his friend and partner flew the SAPS K9 tracker dog flag high during his years of service until he passed away last month from a terminal illness. “Black had written his own story on SÀPS K9 wall of remembrance,” said Warrant Officer Maurice Konzani. “I salute this gallant warrior who always honoured his calling. I will forever remember my partner as a courageous fighter. Rest in peace my friend.” Black, a mix between a Bloodhound and Bluetick hound, was trained as a tracker dog together with four of his siblings by his handler at Atteridgeville SAPS K9 Training Institution in 2011 when he was a year old, the police said in a statement. Following his passing out, Black resumed his new duties as a tracker dog at Humansdorp K9 Unit. “From the early days this spirited K9 presented a promising career in tracking down criminals, who always made his handler and the SAPS proud. He established himself as one of the top tracker dogs in the SAPS K9 and assisted in solving cases of stock theft and house breaking. “Black played a vital role in retrieving hidden goods, carcasses and identifying crime scenes.” In 2012 he found a woman who was lost in the Storm’s River, where he assisted the search & rescue team. She was alive. In 2013 a farm owner in the Fort Beaufort area had reported a stock theft case, and Black helped track down five stock thieves. The farmer commended the amazing work of Black in a letter to the EC Provincial Head Office and added that his confidence in the SAPS was restored as he had previously suffered immense stock losses. In 2014 Black and his Konzani were awarded commendations when they were nominated as Eastern Cape’s top achievers in the crime prevention category and were first runners-up in the SAPS national awards ceremony. In April this year, Black was taken off duty because of a heart condition, and was taken home by Konzani, who looked after him until he died in October.

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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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