K9 Zeus – Citrus County, Florida

Died 9/19/15
Handler – Deputy Chris Hryc

Citrus County Police dog passes away

Citrus County Sheriff Jeff Dawsy is sad to announce that K9 Zeus, one of the agency’s greatest patrol dogs, passed away over the weekend. K9 Zeus was being kenneled at a local animal hospital while his handler, Deputy Chris Hryc, was out of the county. This is a common practice for K9 handlers to ensure their dogs are properly cared for while they are away. Unfortunately, Zeus developed a severe case of bloat (a condition which is not uncommon to German Shepherds) and was found deceased in his kennel Saturday morning. K9 Zeus worked as a patrol dog with Dep. Hryc for almost 5 years. During this time the duo was responsible for an extraordinary amount of Intelligence Led Policing-related arrests while working alongside patrol units. Their teamwork led to hundreds of drug arrests, thousands of dollars and vehicles seized, multiple catches of suspects, and more. “When Dep. Hryc and Zeus showed up on a call or traffic stop, they were a force to be reckoned with,” said Sgt. Ryan Glaze, head of the K9 unit. “In most cases, even the suspects knew who they were which often resulted in an easier, non-confrontational traffic stop. They truly created a safer environment for everyone. K9 Zeus is irreplaceable and will truly be missed by all of us, especially those who worked alongside of him.” Please keep Dep. Hryc and his family in your prayers. A K9 dog is part of each handler’s family and it will be difficult for them to adjust to life without him in the coming months.

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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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