K9 Blaze – Sussex County, New Jersey

Died – 10/9/16
Handler – Lt. Mitch Ellicott

Sheriff’s Office mourns passing of K9

The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of one of its own after an 8-year veteran of the department passed away on Sunday. Blaze, a search and rescue K9 for the office, died in his sleep over the weekend, the sheriff’s office said on Wednesday. “These dogs are like a member of our office,” said Sheriff Michael Strada. “He came to work every day for the last eight years just like an officer.” Formerly a service dog for the visually impaired, Blaze was adopted by Lt. Mitch Ellicott in April of 2008. He became a certified Search & Rescue Dog on Oct. 19, 2008, the sheriff’s office said. “The dogs get very close to their handlers since they go home with them at the end of each day,” Strada said. “This has a big impact on not only our office but also the handler and his family.” Throughout his career with the department, Blaze responded to and assisted in the location of more than 40 missing juveniles, adults and seniors in Sussex County and the surrounding area. Because of his “calm, yet playful, demeanor,” Blaze was well suited for being a search and rescue dog. Strada said his office has two other search and rescue K9s so there won’t be any lapse in service, just more work for the other dogs. He said the search and rescue dogs are mainly used when municipalities call in a missing person, adding that his office and the New Jersey State Police are the only departments with search and rescue dogs in the county. Strada said his office will honor Blaze, but it has yet to be planned.

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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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