K9 Fiji – Westerville, Ohio

Died 4/5/22
Handler – Lieutenant Bryan Schwartz

Retired Westerville police K9 Fiji passes away following battle with cancer

Westerville police said goodbye to a beloved former member of the K9 team on Tuesday. Former police K9 Fiji, the division’s first female narcotics dog, passed away following what police said was a brave battle with cancer. Fiji worked with the division alongside Westerville police Lieutenant Bryan Schwartz for roughly seven years before retiring in 2020, according to a post. Together, Schwartz and Fiji earned 10 gold, four silver and five bronze medals from K9 team competitions. During her time with the division, Fiji responded to nearly 1,200 calls for service, police said, helping seize more than $2 million in illegal narcotics and money linked to narcotics investigations. “Thank you, Fiji, for a life of service,” police said in a post to social media.

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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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