K9 Zar – Newberry Township, Pennsylvania

Died 9/19/23
Handler – Officer Nicholas Vozzella

Newberry Township Police K9 ‘unexpectedly’ dies, police say

The Newberry Township Police male K9 Zar did not die on the job but did pass away unexpectedly, police said. Newberry Township Police state Zar was at home with his handler on Tuesday when an object got stuck in his throat, restricting his breathing.Police said that he passed away due to an accident where he choked on a ball while training with his partner Officer Nicholas Vozzella.The beloved officer, quickly being rushed to an emergency veterinary clinic where staff did everything they could to resuscitate Zar.Unfortunately, Zar was unable to be brought back and passed away at the hospital.Police later provided an escort in honor of Zar and his dedicated service to the community, giving him one final ride past the police department he bravely served.Law enforcement says K-9 Zar protected dozens of officers on duty and was trained in suspect apprehension, narcotics detection, article searches, handler protection, and patrol activities.One impressive feat that Zar accomplished, according to the department, was being able to locate a firearm that was used in an attempted homicide. “During this difficult time, Newberry Township Police would like to extend a special thank you to all of our law enforcement partners who participated in K-9 Zar’s escort, Newberry Twp. Fire Department, UPMC LifeTeam EMS, York County 911 and the Newberry Animal Emergency Center,” says Newberry Township Police.K-9 Zar served the Newberry Township public from May 18 of 2019 to Sept. 19 of 2023 and will be deeply missed by all that encountered him. The Newberry Township Police K9 was five and a half years old.

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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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