K9 Thor – Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Died 9/25/23

Mount Pleasant PD says retired police K-9 Thor has died

A retired Mount Pleasant Police Department K-9 has died. K-9 Thor was sworn in as an officer in 2014 and served as a dual purpose K-9, trained for patrol work and narcotic detection. He also participated in numerous educational events and town functions, according to the department.Thor was born in the Netherlands and was half German Shepherd and half Belgian Malinois. The K-9 was awarded First Responder of the Month by the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce in December 2019 for assisting in the apprehension of a suspect in the Wando Crossing Shopping Center. Department leaders say he also helped rescue overdose victims and assisted with an armed robbery arrest and a burglary prosecution. “When K-9 Thor wasn’t working, he was devoted to his family and referred to as a “big softy,” the department said. K-9 Thor was retired on March 9, 2021, after seven years of dedicated service. The four-legged officer died peacefully at his home.

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.