K9 Gauge – Vanderbilt University Police, Tennessee

Died 7/20/20
Handler – Lt. Jason Bates

Gauge, VUPD’s first K-9 officer, has died

Gauge, the first recruit and longest-serving officer in Vanderbilt University Police Department’s K-9 program, died July 20. He was 14 and a half. An explosives detection dog, Gauge served VUPD for 10 years and was elevated to the rank of corporal. He was retired from the department in 2017. Over his decade-long career, Gauge provided his sniffing services approximately 1,000 times for various events on campus as well as in response to suspicious packages, parcels and vehicles. He was USPCA- and ATF-certified and used to sweep Vanderbilt facilities before football, basketball and baseball games, events involving dignitaries, and most any large gathering on campus. “As a partner, I couldn’t have asked for a better dog,” said Lt. Jason Bates, Gauge’s longtime handler, to whose home he retired in 2017. During Gauge’s years of service, the pair was called on to assist the Metro Nashville Police Department several times each year for marathons, Tennessee Titans games, visits by former presidents to Nashville and the annual CMA Awards and Music Festival, among other events. Gauge also spent thousands of hours training with MNPD, the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Nashville Airport Police and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. At age 11, Gauge became arthritic in his hips, which hindered his ability to low-crawl under things, and sitting and standing became increasingly difficult. It was decided to retire Gauge to his handler’s home to spend his days relaxing and playing. No longer required to adhere to a strict diet in retirement, Gauge regularly feasted on kibble, ribs, chicken, turkey, sausages, hot dogs, the largest butcher bones available, and his all-time favorite treat: cheese puffs. Gauge spent the remainder of his retirement in a large fenced yard with many trees and a choice of two dog houses, including a “winter home,” which was heated. He had continuous access to at least a dozen balls—tennis balls were his favorite—strewn about the yard at any given time. Gauge had a habit of burying rawhide chews, but never forgot where he placed them. On warm days he relaxed in holes he dug in the yard, especially happy when they filled with water. He enjoyed playing fetch and swimming in the Stones River with his handler. “Gauge was a friend to, and loved by, many family members, department personnel, community members, neighbors and certainly his handler,” said VUPD in its monthly newsletter. “He spent most of his life doing what he loved to do—serving the police department that chose him for a specific, highly specialized job. He served that role with the utmost dedication and desire to please.”

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.