K9 Hunter – Harvard, Illinois

Died – 9/7/16
Handler – Sgt. Stephen Dixon

Harvard police dog Hunter laid to rest

Hunter was a good boy. Sgt. Stephen Dixon, of the Harvard Police Department, laid a good friend and fellow officer to rest Wednesday after more than a decade together. Hunter the German shepherd was 14 years old and retired – the city’s first and only K-9 officer. He was imported from Germany when he was less than 2 and worked with Dixon from 2006 to 2014. “He was happy and a sharp dog to the end. That’s the hard thing, when the body goes before the mind does,” Dixon said. “A lot of people think a police dog is this big, mean dog that goes around biting people. They don’t see the other side, where they are focused and obedient. The work ethic is amazing.” The city didn’t have a K-9 unit when Dixon began with the department in the early 2000s. It’s a pricey endeavor. The cost of the dog and training alone can climb past $10,000, not to mention the addition of a car that can fit a cage. Police dogs are typically pre-trained before import and then go through a three-month program with their handlers after arrival at the department. Annual maintenance training also is expected, Dixon said.

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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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