K9 Leo – Northern Territory, Australia

Handler – Tim Hatton

Police dog Leo passes away

Northern Territory police’s longest serving drug detector dog, Leo, has passed away. Police made the announcement on social media today. Police dog Leo spent part of his career busting drug traffickers in Katherine. Leo started with NT Police after graduating from Australian Customs Service Detector training course in December 2008 and retired in December 2016 after eight years of service to his handler, Tim Hatton. Leo worked in Katherine, Darwin and numerous remote communities during his career and received a certificate of appreciation from the Rivers Region in 2014 for service to the region. Leo had numerous busts with his greatest detection being 5.8kg of cannabis, valued at over $300,000, located in a Victorian Outlaw motorcycle gangs caravan which was headed towards Darwin on March 29, 2009.Police made the arrest after intercepting a Toyota Landcruiser with Victorian registration plates that was towing a caravan along the Stuart Highway near Katherine.

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.