K9 King – Solano, California

Died – 11/12/15
Handler – Deputy Mike Waller

K9 King dies at the age of 17 years old

The entire team of the Solano County Sheriff’s Patrol K-9 Unit turned out as the Board of Supervisors commemorated former canine deputy King and celebrated his nine years of law enforcement service. The first dog to join the department’s canine program when it was established in 2001, King retired from service in 2009 and died Nov. 12 at the age of 17. King was a Belgian Malinois that was assigned to handler Deputy Mike Waller for the nine years he served in the sheriff’s unit. “King was a huge part of my life,” Waller said. “I was with him 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I was with him more than my family. I’d go to work and King was with me. I’d go home and King was with me. I’d go on vacation and King was with me.” King, who was cross-trained in narcotics detention and handler protection, received various honors during his career. He was given the Deputy of the Year award in 2004 for his bravery and vigilance in apprehending a suspect that struck a California Highway Patrol officer and fled. King was stabbed by a suspect in 2006 while he and Waller tried to locate a burglar in a house. He competed in and won numerous trophies from the Western States Canine Association K-9 Trials and the annual Police Olympics. He even had a barking role in the Disney/Pixar animated feature “Up.” “They really did set the standard and the bar,” Solano County Sheriff Thomas A. Ferrara said of King and Waller. The Sheriff’s Patrol K-9 Unit currently consists of five deputy sheriffs and their canine partners. The Sheriff’s Office also has two more canines in the custody division that provide search and detection services within the three jail facilities. In addition to the resolution passed by supervisors Tuesday, other tributes to King came from the office of Rep. John Garamendi; from the offices of Jim Frazier, Bill Dodd and Susan Bonilla on behalf of the California state Assembly; and from the Solano County Deputies Sheriffs’ Association.

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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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