K9 Melnic – Olympia, Washington

Died – 7/17/23
Handler – Officer Randy Wilson

Beloved Olympia Police K9 Melnic dies at 13, remembered as ‘best’ boy

Olympia Police K9 Melnic died on Monday at age 13, following some health issues during his retirement, according to an obituary posted on the police dog’s social media account. The German Shepherd was born in the Czech Republic in 2010, and worked with Olympia Police Department for five years. There, he was responsible for about 70 captures and assisted in numerous arrests alongside his handler, police officer Randy Wilson. But his community outreach is what solidified his legacy. Melnic visited schools and put on meet-and-greets for the community. Olympia police organized “Where’s Melnic?” in the winters of 2014 and 2015, a scavenger hunt that sent children searching for photos of the police dog in downtown store windows. As a reward, participants got “pawtographed” photos with the K9. In July 2016, Melnic suffered two herniated discs in his back. Though his surgery was successful, Police Lt. Paul Lower said the police department wanted Melnic to retire while he was still healthy. He gave a goodbye “pawress” conference in December of that year. When he was asked what he’d miss most about working with the police department, he delivered his answer through a passionate series of barks. “That’s easy … It’s the people!” Melnic’s subtitles read. In 2017, Wilson, who became Melnic’s owner after the dog’s service in OPD, told The Olympian Melnic was happily adjusting to his new indoor-dog life, but missed work and still tried to go to the station every day. Then, Melnic and his partner Chiba were expecting a litter of puppies. He now leaves behind six sons, three grandsons and one granddaughter, all of whom have taken after him, serving as local law enforcement K9s. “The legacy he started was great,” Wilson said in 2017. “You don’t find that every day in a police dog. He’s not looking for a fight, but if a fight comes to him he can handle it. But he can also lay down on the rug with 40 kids.”

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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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