K9 Indy – Ocean County, New Jersey

Handler – Officer Bernadette Warren

K9 Sheriff Indy dies at age 5

The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office is in mourning after the death of Sheriff K9 Indy earlier this month. The Sheriff’s Office says Indy died peacefully with her handler, Sheriff’s Officer Bernadette Warren, by her side. Indy died after a brief fight with cancer. She was only five. Although Indy was young, she made quite an impact in the Ocean Co. Sheriff’s Office. K9 Indy served with the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office for 2 years. K9 Indy’s short but heroic career is nothing short of amazing. K9 Indy and Officer Warren were certified as a tracking team by the Ocean County Sheriffs Office after successfully completing months of training. K9 Indy and Officer Warren not only assisted in locating missing subjects and criminals in Ocean County but throughout New Jersey.K9 Indy loved her job and was very good at it. Officer Warren and Indy were inseparable and, just like with any good dog, Indy was a part of the family, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The partners worked and trained together and enjoyed each other’s company at home and at work. Officer Warren says she was a gentle pup loved by all. “Indy won’t be forgotten. “The Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit is staffed with 5 handlers and 11 service canines, including 3 Bloodhounds, 2 narcotic detections, 3 explosive detections, one in arson detection, one patrol, and one cadaver canine. The K9 Unit has partnered with the New Jersey State Police’s “Detect & Render Safe” Taskforce since its inception and has been assisting neighboring counties since 1962.In 2001, two Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Units performed tunnel sweeps after the 9/11 terroristic attacks.

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.