K9 Peytie – Greenville, South Carolina

Died – 5/21/23

Police K-9 shot, killed after biting Upstate deputy

A Greenville County Sheriff’s Office K-9, K9 Peytie, was shot after biting a deputy on Sunday evening. “Most dog bites we see are fear-based bites,” Dog Trainer Crystal Myers with Complete K-9 Training Services said. “They are most likely going to be nips but the dog is communicating that hey I don’t like the situation, I don’t like where I am, I feel boxed in. They are trying to get an out and most of what you see are going to be fear related bites.” According to the sheriff’s office, an off-duty deputy, also an experienced K-9 handler, was conducting a non-training activity and was unexpectedly bit by the 2 1/2-year-old Belgium Malinois. “K-9 training for police starts at a very young age,” Myers said. “It depends who you go through with that, but by the time they are two the idea is that they are ready to be on the force serving the community with their handler.” The dog failed to release despite repeated verbal commands and multiple attempts by witnesses to pull the dog off.A family member of the deputy, who lives nearby, rushed out and discharged their own firearm to save the deputy. The K-9 passed away from its wounds. The primary handler was away for training. The injured handler was caring for the K-9 as standard practice. Myers says while it may be difficult for K-9’s to sometimes decipher when to be done they should all be trained with what she calls an ‘off switch’. “It is good for dogs to have that off switch or else they will just keep going and they will keep pushing you,” Myers said. “Especially if you have had any kind of working dog you know they are going to be right there nuzzling your hand, pushing on you. They are very pushy dogs. So having that off switch and having you set that boundary and say were done time for you to go settle down or physically removing them from the situation and letting them settle down and calm down in their own way is something that needs to be done.” The deputy was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.Greenville County Sheriff’s Office of Professional Standards was notified and is reviewing the incident.

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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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