K9 Luke – Troup, Texas

Handler – Sgt. Kyle Stowers

Troup Police K9 Officer Luke laid to rest with full honors

Troup Police Department K9 Officer Luke was laid to rest Wednesday with full honors despite the rainy weather. A procession of law enforcement vehicles with flashing lights escorted Luke to the Troup Police Station from a Tyler veterinary clinic. Friends and fellow officers from several East Texas law enforcement agencies joined Troup officers to say farewell. Luke joined the department in May of 2007. He was retired on Oct. 1, 2017, and was the department’s second senior officer. Luke went home with his longtime partner Sgt. Kyle Stowers when the city relinquished ownership. Luke lived with Stowers until his death. He was 14 years old. Stowers’ social media page said Luke was having breathing troubles, and he had a tumor and other health issues. His service was possible because of the efforts of Troup High School senior Jeff Fields McCormack, according to Troup officials. McCormack raised more than $2,000 for the K9 unit in 2017 for his National Honor Society project.

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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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