K9 Exo – Wilmington, Delaware

Handler – Master Sergeant Andrew Conine

Wilmington Police Department Mourns Loss of K9 EXO

The Wilmington Police Department has announced the passing of K9 EXO, an 11-year-old German Shepherd who dedicated more than nine years to serving the department and the City of Wilmington.Born in the Czech Republic, K9 EXO was trained in narcotics detection and played a crucial role in recovering significant quantities of illegal drugs during his active service. After retiring from patrol duties in 2019 following the promotion of his handler, Master Sergeant Andrew Conine, EXO continued to serve as a community ambassador. Over the years, he attended more than 1,000 community events and school demonstrations, educating local residents on the important role of police canines.EXO maintained his certification in narcotics detection and continued contributing to investigations even in his retirement. His presence helped bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community by fostering connections and building trust.“We appreciate EXO’s dedicated service to our community and department, and our thoughts are with Sergeant Conine and his family, as well as his colleagues in the Canine Unit,” said Chief Wilfredo Campos. “We appreciate the dedication of all of the K9 partners who serve our city alongside our police officers.”K9 EXO’s legacy embodies the commitment and service of police canines to public safety and community engagement. His work will continue to inspire future generations of police officers and their canine partners to serve with dedication and purpose.

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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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