K9 Stryker – Medesto, California

Died – 12/3/17
Handler – Officer Mark Ulrich

Modesto police K-9 Stryker, instrumental in tracking down drugs, suspects, dies

Stryker, a member of the Modesto Police Department’s K-9 unit who was responsible for hundreds of arrests and the discovery of several pounds of drugs, died on Sunday. The 11-year-old German shepherd, who retired in August 2016, suffered a “medical emergency” and died later at a veterinarian’s office. Born in the Czech Republic, Stryker partnered with officer Mark Ulrich for nearly nine years. He was trained to track, search and locate discarded items and protect his handler. He also was certified to find five types of illegal narcotics. During one case a few years ago, Stryker alerted to what turned out to be 26 pounds of uncut heroin in a vehicle on Highway 99 near Keyes. After processing, there heroin would have yielded an estimated $2.3 million in sales. Six years ago, he tracked down a burglary suspect who had stabbed a security guard in the hand with a screwdriver. According to a story in The Bee: “The officers created a perimeter around the area. Officer Mark Ulrich and his police dog ‘Stryker’ found Hobbs hiding. Applegate said Hobbs tried to run again, but was apprehended by Stryker, who bit Hobbs’ arm.” In 2010, Stryker and Ulrich comprised one of two K-9 teams that won the prestigious “Top Team” award by the Western States Police Canine Association. Currently, Modesto police have four working dogs, according to spokeswoman Heather Graves.

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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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