K9 Sem – Cypress, California

Died 7/15/20
Handler – , Sergeant Mondon

We are sad to announce the passing of retired Cypress Police K9 Sem. Those who got a chance to meet him knew him to be a happy and dedicated servant who loved to patrol the streets of Cypress and protect our community. During his career, he completed nearly 350 narcotics searches, seizing 168 pounds of drugs and $265,000 worth of drug money. He tirelessly completed over 1,000 searches of buildings and vehicles looking for bad guys and managed to capture and arrest many of them (including two wanted for murder). He retired to live with his handler, Sergeant Mondon where he enjoyed hanging out and relaxing after an exciting and productive career. He was put to rest on July 15th with Sergeant Mondon by his side. Sem will truly be missed and will live forever in our hearts.

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.