K9 Larry – North Chungcheong, South Korea

S. Korea police to honor dog killed in line of duty by snake

A Long serving South Korean police dog killed in the line of duty by a snake will be honored with a rare ceremony next month in a country where a million of his fellow canines are estimated to be eaten every year. Larry, a 7-year-old German shepherd, was searching for a missing person on a mountain in North Chungcheong province when the reptile bit him on his left hind leg in July. He is the first police dog to die “in the line of duty” anywhere in the country, the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency said in a statement. Highly trained in tracking evidence through scent, Larry helped officers with 39 felony cases and took part in searches for more than 170 missing people since first being deployed in 2012. He provided a key clue to an unsolved murder last year after detecting the body of a woman buried 70 centimeters underground near a hiking trail. An officer told AFP that the carcass was cremated and a funeral service held after Larry’s death last month. “Roam freely in heaven,” read a caption on a photograph of Larry in front of flowers, pictures showed. Police have commissioned a bronze plaque “in honor of Larry” listing his achievements, which will be hung in the regional police headquarters at a ceremony in September, the officer added. It is a marked contrast to the fate of many dogs in South Korea, where their boiled meat has long been a part of the cuisine and remains a delicacy for some, with about one million dogs believed to be eaten annually.

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.