K9 Duke – Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Handler – Officer Jason Ruppert 

ECPD shares news of the passing of retired ECPD K9 Duke

With sadness, the Eau Claire Police Department is sharing the news of the passing of retired Eau Claire Police Department K9, Duke. In a social post in Duke’s honor, the ECPD says that Duke served with the ECPD from 2011 until he retired in 2019. Duke earned the trust, respect, and admiration of all those he worked with and served. He made Eau Claire a safer place to live by searching for and locating large amounts of illegal narcotics in the Eau Claire community. ECPD says that Duke and his handler, Officer Jason Ruppert, were honored as the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce’s Public Servants of the Year in 2019.

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.