K9 Hank – Illinois State Police

Died – 11/4/24
Handler – Trooper McNelly

IL State Police honors training K-9 following death at age 11

The Illinois State Police is mourning one of its K-9s after he passed away while still in service.ISP Troop 8 said their K-9 Hank died on Monday at the age of 11. The cause of death was “medical complications related to a brief terminal illness.”Troop 8 officials said Hank graduated with Canine Class 71 in 2015 and was an active ISP K-9 until his death. Most recently, he helped in the training of new State Police K-9s and their handlers at the ISP Canine Training Facility in Pawnee.“Hank was not just a valued partner to Trooper McNelly, but also a beloved member of the Illinois State Police family. Together, they worked tirelessly as a team in Troop 8 to protect and serve the citizens of Illinois, forging a bond of trust and teamwork that will be remembered by all who knew them,” officials said. “Our prayers are with Trooper McNelly, his family, and all those who had the privilege of working alongside Hank during his distinguished career. We pause to honor Hank’s memory and give thanks for the incredible work he did to keep our communities safe over the last decade.”Officials added that Hank was an amazing role model and example in training.

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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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