K9 Rhea – Inman, South Carolina

Died 6/24/21
Handler – Sgt. Ford

Inman Police Department Mourn K9 Rhea

The Inman Police Department is in mourning for the loss of a very good and brave girl. K9 Rhea passed away suddenly and tragically while on duty from a medical condition. She started her service in December of 2017 as a rescue from Florida. She loved nothing more than to come to work and spend time with her handler, Sgt. Ford, and his wife while at home. Rhea was a stubborn girl with a strong will to work and a heart of gold. She loved to play with her rope-ball and running non-stop for hours at a time. Rhea was a dual purpose K9 who was trained in narcotics detection and human trafficking. While riding in the car, you could hear her barking from a mile away and she loved to get in the front seat. She was a great K9 and an even better partner. A memorial service will be held for K9 Officer Rhea from the Inman Police Department Thursday morning. Officer Rhea’s memorial service will be Thursday at Free Will Baptist Church at 10:30 a.m. Officer Rhea served the the police department for over 5 years. She will be missed deeply.

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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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