In Loving memory of
K-9 Clevely AXEL
AKA BUCK
(Nemo v Adeloga x Briarmore Panja)
4th June, 1991 - 21st July, 2000
 
Handlers: Heather Macdonald & David Greer
Zulu Police
Department
South Queensferry, Scotland
Telephone:
0131 331 3698
Buck is the one on the left alongside his friend
P.D. Zulu. Zulu is still a serving Police dog with Lothian
and Borders Police. Buck was born on the 4th June 1991 and
at around 8 months found him self recruited to Lothian and
Borders Police in Edinburgh. At around 12 months, Buck
developed a 'skin condition', which although kept at bay for
years was never really cured. Due to this, he became a
regular visitor to the vets, who over the years came to know
and love Buck, as we did. At around 41/2 years old, Buck was
retired from the Police and came to live at home with us, as
part of the family. Being used to life in a kennel, Buck
found life in front of the fire ' brilliant', so much so, if
he found himself too close to the kennels in the garden, he
would immediately walk in the other direction. Buck became
our constant companion and went everywhere with us,
even on holiday. We learned an awful lot about dogs
and their immense resilience from Buck and for that, we will
always be grateful. On the morning of Friday 21st July,
2000, we had to make that impossible decision to let him go.
Once made, we vowed to make this day a special one. His
friends and admirers came to say goodbye, bringing with them
treats such as chocolate and cheese, which Buck adored. The
afternoon was spent alone with him, at a nearby beach, a
place Buck loved to visit and a place that will always
remind us of him. At 7:03pm, we said our own very tearful
goodbye, cuddling him right to the end, his last memory
being us and the piece of chocolate, which was half eaten.
It was, and still is very emotional for us. Even the vet,
Jim Ford and his nurse Joanne Cruden were upset, as they had
known Buck for a number of years and grown very attached to
him. Everyone who met him loved him. He had such a strong
but gentle character, very reliable, yet fearless in his
protection of those he loved, he was and still is a great
ambassador for the breed. Buck was that 'special' dog who
will always be in our hearts. For us Buck is what a German
Shepherd Dog should be…. Buck you are never far.
In
Loving Memory of
K-9 ANDO
December 26, 2000
Handler:
Officer James
Davison
LaGrange Police
Department
LaGrange
Police Department
100 Haralson Street
LaGrange, GA 30240
Ando
and his handler Officer Davison are assigned to the patrol
division. They assist the Criminal Investigations Division
(CID) and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) serving
search warrants and apprehending wanted criminals. They also
patrol high crime areas of the city and proactively enforce
all laws of the state of Georgia. The team also gives canine
lectures and demonstrations to the public and assists other
law enforcement agencies when requested. Ando was one of
four canine teams in the LaGrange Police Department and will
be greatly missed by all the members of the department. Ando
gave his best when ever called on and loved his job and his
handler; he was a great tracker and loved the hunt and
catching the bad guys. Some of the highlights of his career
included assisting in the apprehension of two murders, four
bank robbers and one of the US Marshalls most wanted
fugitives. His loss is a great tragedy to the community and
the LaGrange Police canine unit. The Canine Unit currently
consists of three (3) teams. All three teams work in
conjunction with Patrol, Special Investigations Unit (SIU),
and Criminal Investigations Division (CID). The teams
assist in the execution of search warrants and felony arrest
warrants, vehicle and building searches, tracking of
suspects, and the apprehension of fleeing felons. The teams
are high profile and support our zero tolerance program.
They concentrate patrol efforts in high crime areas and
respond to calls for services. LaGrange officers mourn
police dog.
*******************
Statistics / Bio Data
Born: Germany, October 1994.
Age: 6 yrs. old
Physical:Standard black & tan, German Shepherd
80 lbs. Beautiful dog!
Employment: LaGrange Police Dept.
Partner: Ofc. Jim Davison handler for 4 years.
Duties: Multipurpose, patrol/narcotics detection
service dog. Assigned to patrol division.
**********************************
Ando and his handler Officer Davison are assigned to the
patrol division. They assist the Criminal Investigations
Division (CID) and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU)
serving search warrants and apprehending wanted criminals.
They also patrol high crime areas of the city and
proactively enforce all laws of the state of Georgia. The
team also gives canine lectures and demonstrations to the
public and assists other law enforcement agencies when
requested. Ando was one of four canine teams in the LaGrange
Police Department and will be greatly missed by all the
members of the department. Ando gave his best when ever
called on and loved his job and his handler; he was a great
tracker and loved the hunt and catching the bad guys. Some
of the highlights of his career included assisting in the
apprehension of two murders, four bank robbers and one of
the US Marshalls most wanted fugitives. His loss is a great
tragedy to the community and the LaGrange Police canine
unit. The Canine Unit currently consists of three (3) teams.
All three teams work in conjunction with Patrol, Special
Investigations Unit (SIU), and Criminal Investigations
Division (CID). The teams assist in the execution of search
warrants and felony arrest warrants, vehicle and building
searches, tracking of suspects, and the apprehension of
fleeing felons. The teams are high profile and support our
zero tolerance program. They concentrate patrol efforts in
high crime areas and respond to calls for services. LaGrange
officers mourn police dog.
**********
“ANDO”
DUAL PURPOSE GERMAN SHEPHERD
POLICE K-9 - LaGrange Georgia Police Department
THE
INCIDENT:
On
December 26th 2000 at about 8:30 P.M. a patrol officer
observed a vehicle with no license plate and no seat belts
in use riding around in a high drug area of the city. The
officer initiated a traffic stop but the vehicle refused to
stop and a pursuit began and lasted for about a mile, ending
on a dead end street with both occupants leaving the vehicle
and running from the officer into a wooded area. Ofc.
Davison and Ando responded to assist and began to track the
driver. A good perimeter was established but normally our
canine teams have no cover officer on tracking incidents
because of the lack of manpower. To have a good perimeter we
have to give up the cover officer, as was the case for this
incident. Ando tracked hard and located a pair of jeans the
driver was wearing. As the team continued to track the
suspect could be heard moving through the brush about fifty
yards ahead of the team. Numerous verbal warnings about the
use of the canine were given to the suspect with no
response. The ground cover got thicker and thicker as the
team continued to track the suspect and Ofc. Davison decided
to go into an area search or directed search off leash. Ofc.
Davison gave numerous verbal warnings about the deployment
of canine off leash and then began to send Ando out to
search a very densely wooded area. Ando went out and
recalled twice and was sent out a third time but did not
return. Ofc. Davison recalled Ando several times with no
response. Nothing could be heard at all. No barking no
yelling, nothing. Ofc. Davison began to search for his
canine, sensing something was wrong and alerted perimeter
officers of the situation. The other three canine teams with
the LaGrange Police department were called out and together
they began to search the wooded area for about six hours
concentrating the search on the area within the perimeter.
At about five o'clock in the morning Ofc. Davison began
searching outside the perimeter area and located his canine
partner Ando in a creek bed, deceased from what appeared to
be drowning. Ando was still wearing his collar and black
nylon tracking harness with the words “POLICE” on each side.
Further investigation at the crime scene reveled the
suspects footprints, a camo ear warmer, and a black leather
jacket that was soaking wet and had creek sand in the
pockets. This location was a little over one hundred yards
from the area Ofc. Davison released Ando last. LaGrange
detectives began an investigation and arrested
twenty-year-old Randal Chambers on December 28th 2000.
Chambers had multiple dog bites and scratches on his legs
and arms, but refused to talk about the incident. The
investigation revealed that Chambers, who has a history of
drug arrests, and obstructing Police and that he had
exchanged crack cocaine for the use of the vehicle. Chambers
was charged with numerous traffic charges, obstruction, and
killing a police canine, which is a five year felony and a
$10,000.00 fine under Georgia criminal code.
Officer Davison will remain dedicated to the canine unit and
will be selecting a new canine partner in February; he will
name him Gator.
In
Loving Memory of
K-9 AKAH
October 22, 2000
Handler:Sgt.
Dan Johnson
Boone County
Sheriff's Department
2121
County Drive
Columbia, MO 65202
The
Boone County Sheriffs Department said good bye
By
WHITNEY FRIEDLANDER, Missourian staff Dept.
October
30, 2000
The Boone County Sheriff’s Department
said good bye to one of its most loyal members — as well as
one of its furriest — on Thursday. Akah, a member of the K-9
patrol who had been with the Sheriff’s Department for five
years, died Thursday from cancer. Born in Germany, this
German Shepherd came to Columbia when he was little more
than a year old, to live with his owner and handler, Sgt.
Dan Johnson of the Sheriff’s Johnson said Akai was better
than any of the dog characters in the movies who portrayed
his job, such as in “Turner and Hooch.” “He didn’t make as
much money, but he was better,” Johnson said. “He was very
social and loved being around people." Despite his love for
affection, Johnson said Akah knew how to get the job done.
“Nobody wanted to run away from him,” Johnson said. “He’s
too big. Still, every time I said stop, he’d stop.” Akai was
trained in drug detection, handler protection, apprehension
and tracking missing persons. “He was definitely a dual
purpose dog,” Johnson said. With the loss of Akah, the Boone
County Sheriff’s Department is down to one K-9 unit, a
Belgian Tervuren named Tarko, who was also born in Germany.
Both dogs had “been very active and instrumental in the
success of numerous incidents over the past several years,”
officials said in a press release Friday. Johnson said he
will get another dog in January when the training session
for police dogs starts again. Akah was cremated and will be
buried at Johnson’s home. Donations to the department for
the purchase of a new police dog may be sent to 2121 County
Drive, Columbia, MO, 65202. Sheriff’s Department dog will
be missed.
New Partner,
Kasper
by Sgt.
Dan Johnson
Currently, I am waiting for the next class to open for
another K-9 partner. I know there needs to be a cool down
time between dogs, but it has been a long winter. My new
partner's name is "KASPER." He is waiting at the school,
detector dogs International in Iowa now. Kasper will be the
third dog I have put into service. He should be in service
for 10 years, figuring I double the service life each time.
Thank you for all the things you have sent. Everyone at home
and in the department enjoyed them.Thanks again,
SERGEANT DAN JOHNSON
In
Loving Memory of
K-9 ARCO
September 7, 2000
Handler:
Officer
Jon Granberry
Grand Prairie
Police Department
TEXAS
Agency Loses K-9 to Heat Stroke 9/7/00
Backup
news staff writer Richard Rogers
GRAND
PRAIRIE, Texas - Less than a week after their new canine
arrived in Texas from Holland, the Grand Prairie Police
Department lost him to heat stroke. Temperatures in North
Texas on Monday were a record-setting 111 degrees and
officials believe that the dog, Arco, died because of this.
Arco was a three-year-old Belgian Malinois for whom the
department paid $4,750. According to Police Chief Glen Hill,
the handler, Officer Jon Granberry, was devastated.
"To be
in that assignment, you have to have a great love for the
animal. Though he only had him for less than 48 hours, there
was a bond there," Hill said. Granberry had kept Arco in a
shaded kennel and had wet him down several times in the
intense heat. "I believe I did everything I could," he
said.
Administrators are talking to the vendor since they feel
they were not given adequate instructions regarding the care
of Arco. The vendor, Mike Clemenson of Hill Country Dog
Center, said, "Anytime a dog comes from a cooler climate
like Holland, you have to take that into
consideration...I've never had a dog die like this before."
NOTE:
UPDATE: 2009 -The
Grand Prairie Police Department has two officers assigned to
the K9 unit. These two officers and their canine partners,
"Richard" and "Hico", are responsible for searching for
narcotics, criminal suspects and evidence.
In
Loving Memory of
ADAME
October 3, 2000
 
Massachusetts State Police Mounted Unit
a Selle François
horse, age 27 years,
nickname
"Frenchy"
MA Veteran state
police horse
dies after
working the Gore - Bush debate.
He
marched in President Clinton's inaugural parade in
Washington, D.C., three years ago and most recently helped
in the search for missing Warren lifeguard Molly Bish.
Adame, a 27-year-old state police horse, died shortly after
he handled crowds outside the presidential debate Tuesday.
(Staff photo by Matthew West) The trusted state police
worker spent several July 4 holidays manning the crowd on
Martha's Vineyard and didn't bat an eye one time at a Lynn
rally when a child's balloon bounced off his large head. But
after a 16-year career, the 27-year-old horse named Adame
died yesterday from a heart attack shortly after controlling
the crowds outside the presidential debate at University of
Massachusetts at Boston.
``It was like losing one of our own. He was one of the
bravest horses we had,'' said state police Sgt. James
Condon, who heads the state police Mounted Unit headquarters
in Acton. `We feel like he died in the line of duty.''
Adame, a Selle Francais horse nicknamed ``Frenchy,'' was one
of a dozen state police horses who arrived in Boston Tuesday
afternoon to help man the expected crowd of protesters -
which grew to about 4,000 people. During his shift, state
police troopers said Adame showed no signs of discomfort.
``Nothing ever rattled him,'' said state police Trooper
Richard Crosby. ``He was a solid, solid horse.'' Shortly
after midnight, Adame and his partner for the night, state
police trooper Joseph DeYoung, headed back with the others
to the main staging area, the last stop before the trip
home. Adame collapsed at about 12:30 a.m. while walking on
an access road behind the JFK Library. ``His front legs went
and then he seemed to sit down,'' said Crosby, who jumped
off his own horse to help the fallen team. DeYoung's leg was
pinned under the horse for a short time but he was not
injured. Emergency medical technicians could not revive the
horse at the scene. Adame was buried yesterday at Blue Hills
in Canton. State police troopers who work out of the
Mounted Unit headquarters in Acton were visibly upset
yesterday at the loss of their loyal member, who they called
an A-team horse. Adame had worked with the Metropolitan
District Commission for eight years before the MDC merged
with the state police Mounted Unit in 1992. Like many of
his four-legged colleagues, Adame was donated to the state.
His caretakers plan to have a headstone made in his honor,
which they will set in a nearby field in Acton. Crosby, a
state trooper for 19 years, said Adame had a calming effect
on the other horses. ``He was like a parent or older
brother to them,'' Crosby said. Condon said state troopers
in the unit take turns riding the different horses.
``Everyone here is devastated,'' he said. Although Condon
called Tuesday's crowd nasty, he said neither the conditions
nor exhaustion was linked to the horse's death. He said
Adame was in good health and was used to that type of work.
State police horses patrol state parks and beaches, help in
searches for missing people and help control crowds.
by Jessica Heslam -Thursday, October 5, 2000
In
Loving Memory of
K-9 ATLAS
July 22, 2000
Handler: Officer
Wayne Cooper
Miami-Dade Police Department
South
Operations Division
9105 Northwest 25th Street
Miami, FL 33172-1500 USA
Telephone:
+1-305-471-3165
Fax:
+1-305-471-2626
On July 22, 2000 at approximately 2340 hours, Officer Cooper
& K-9 Atlas responded into the area of NW 22nd Ave. & 35th
St. in reference to a "be on the look out for." the BOLO
issued by Officer Jennifer Wing, was for a dark skinned
Hispanic male that had just committed an armed car jacking.
The vehicle taken was a 1987 Buick Regal 2 door with tinted
windows & gold rims. Office Wing also advised that the
vehicle was equipped with an auto kill switch, which would
shut the engine off within a couple of minutes. With this
information Officer Cooper began looking for the vehicle
within a 5 block radius. Officer Cooper spotted the vehicle
as it turned north onto 19th Ave. The officer turned behind
the vehicle just as the security system kicked in and killed
the engine. As both vehicles came to a stop, the suspect
exited the stolen vehicle. Officer Cooper exited his marked
patrol car, he ordered the suspect to stop and place his
hands on the car. The suspect disregarding the orders and
ran through an opening in a nearby school fence. As the
suspect ran in a southeasterly direction, Officer Cooper
gave chase with K9 Atlas trotting beside him. As officer &
K-9 were running behind the suspect, he pulled a blue steel
revolver from his waistband firing one round in the officers
direction. Until then K-9 Atlas did not even know why they
were running. He was just following his handlers' order to
"come." After hearing the shot ring out, K-9 Atlas
immediately keyed in on the suspect and gave chase as he had
been trained to do as officer was returning ire. As the
suspect was about to exit the field, through a gate leading
onto 36th St., K-9 Atlas leaped up to apprehend the suspect.
The suspect turned and fired another round at K-9 Atlas.
Atlas' momentum forced him and the suspect to fall against
the fence. The suspect got up and continued running.
Although wounded, K-9 Atlas regain his composure and
continued pursuing the suspect with such tenacity that his
handler was unaware of Atlas injuries until he noticed a
large pink mass hanging from his side. Office Cooper
recalled K-9 Atlas as he kept an eye on the suspect and
directed arriving officers to the suspects location.
Realizing that he had no where to go, the suspect
surrendered without further incident. Realizing that K-9
Atlas was seriously wounded and that his vehicle was some
distance away.
Officer Wing drove over to the K-9
team, put them in her vehicle and sped them to Knowles
Animal Hospital, where Atlas later expired in surgery as
doctors tried to repair his ruptured stomach and liver and a
collapsed lung. Although K-9 Atlas lost his life for his
actions, it is because of his actions that Officer Cooper
still has his life so that he can continue to patrol the
streets of Miami and go home at shifts end to his family.
Officer Cooper and K-9 Atlas, a 2 year old Belgian Malinois,
was the newest team of the City of Miami's 17 handler/dog
team units. On the streets for less than two months, the
team was credited with the apprehension of 16 felons before
this encounter. At 54 lb., K-9 Atlas was the smallest dog in
the unit, but had one big heart. K-9 Atlas was the first K-9
ever killed in the line of duty in the history of the Miami
Police Department. K-9 Atlas was awarded the "Medal of
Honor" and the "Purple Heart"
by the department. Officer Cooper was awarded the Medal of
Valor for the actions of K-9 Atlas at the United States
Police Canine Associations National Award Banquet.
Officers bid farewell to heroic K-9
During
the service for Atlas, Officer Cooper's wife, Brandy, cried
in the background. Seated beside her, the couple's two sons,
Daniel, 9, and Jonathan, 7.
Just
as the ceremony was ending Tony Guzman, owner of Metro-Dade
K-9 Services -- which supplies police dogs to South Florida
officers -- sprung a surprise. He marched forward with Tom,
a 2 1/2-year-old Malinois -- Cooper's new partner. ``We've
got a new baby,'' cried Brandy. Police dogs live at home
with their handlers.
Emotional, but holding back the tears, Cooper petted Tom's
head as the dog leaned heavily against his new handler's
right leg. Tom's tongue swaying in the heat, and sticking
far out of his mouth. ``He looks great,'' Cooper said. ``If
he has as much heart as my last dog, we'll get along just
great."
Officer Cooper had expressed his gratitude for the cards and
wished that I passed it along. He has a new partner and a
foundation has been established by a woman in Ft. Lauderdale
to buy vests for our dogs, it's called the Atlas Guardian
Foundation. I can also send you the speech I wrote for the
service , it details the events of that night as well as a
few other words......On behalf of the Miami Police
Department K-9 Unit,
I would
sincerely wish to express our thanks and gratitude for the
cards. If you need anything else in the future you can reach
me at this Email address. The station doesn't have one,
but
this is my own personal home address.........
Thanks
again, Sincerely Sgt.
Timothy Fell
June, 2001
A celebration erupted out the Metro Justice Building in
Miami. The wife of Miami Officer Wayne Cooper rejoiced after
hearing about the guilty verdict against David Soto. Miami
Police officers left the courthouse with smiles on their
faces. “I’m very happy,” said Officer Wayne Cooper of the
verdict. It was Cooper’s K-9 partner, Atlas, who was shot
and killed in the line of duty. Now, suspect, David Soto has
been found guilty of four felonies for a carjacking, murder
of the K-9 and attempted murder of Officer Cooper. “He got
what he deserved. He got what he deserved. He wrote his own
fate and he got it,” added Officer Copper. Jurors said they
had to send a message that killing a police dog is similar
to killing a police officer. “My dog is part of my family…
and I treat my dog as a human being,” said jurors Sharon
Peters. Jurors obviously did not believe that Soto, as his
lawyers claim, was just a witness to the shooting. Soto will
be sentenced next month. He could face life in prison.
2/20/2004
WPLG-TV, Miami
An appeals
court is giving a second chance to a man who was convicted
of trying to kill a police officer and ended up killing a
police dog. In July 2000, David Soto was being chased by
Officer Wayne Cooper when he shot at the officer. Instead of
hitting Cooper, the bullet hit and killed K-9 officer Atlas
Soto was convicted and sentenced to life for attempted
murder. An appellate judge has ordered that Soto be
resentenced because the original judge based his decision on
Soto's lack of remorse. Cooper is not thrilled with
reopening part of the case. "I feel pretty confident that
the evidence against him was good and I think he'll probably
wind up getting the same sentencing. It just brings up some
memories and I don't see why they're going to waste
taxpayers money to do this," he said. Cooper's new partner,
And/or, has been with him for almost two years now. He was
given to the police department after Atlas' death. |
|
Loss of
2 K-9s
In
Loving Memory of
K-9 AJAX
Handler:
Officer Rick Bortnowsky
&
K-9 SZULTAN
Handler: Lt.
Oscar Lopez
September 2000
Newburgh, NY Police Department
55 Broadway
Newburgh, NY 12550
(845) 561-3131
Police dogs remembered as loyal, fallen comrades
NEWBURGH: At a service for two police dogs who died,
K-9 cops spoke of the bond
between officers and their dogs..
By
Blair Craddock The Times Herald-Record
At a
brief memorial service for two City of Newburgh police dogs
who died this week, bagpipes skirled in a sunny glade and
uniformed police officers fought back tears. Officer Rich
Bortnowsky, whose 3-year-old German shepherd, Ajax, was hit
by a car Thursday, accepted a plaque from the U.S. Police
K-9 Association in memory of the dog. So did Lt. Oscar
Lopez, whose 9-year-old shepherd, Szultan, was euthanized
this week after being diagnosed with cancer. One officer,
who read a poem honoring the deceased police dogs, broke
down unabashedly in tears. Lopez, who heads the department's
K-9 division, said, "Some people might say, 'All this for a
dog?' But it's hard for me to understand that."
Unsentimental reasons motivate the police force to have
dogs, said Lopez. But you can't stay unsentimental and use a
dog effectively. Lopez said the dogs, which are specially
bred German shepherds imported from Europe, save taxpayers'
money in police overtime. "If you hid in the woods, it might
take 20 police officers hours to find you. But any one of
these dogs could find you in seconds," he said. The dogs can
save an officer's life or a suspect's, said Officer Darren
Terry, who is in the K-9 division. When a suspect once
pulled a gun on him, he would have had to shoot the man if
his dog hadn't leaped and knocked the gun from the suspect's
hand, Terry recalled. But unlike a machine, the dogs won't
work just for fuel. And unlike a human officer, they work
neither for money nor for any abstract principle.
"Everything they do for us is out of love," said Terry.
"They do it because they're going to get praise from
Daddy." "For us to ask what we ask of them, we have to show
them we love them," said Officer Rich Carrion. So when an
officer joins the K-9 Division, he takes his dog in as a
family member. "I don't get my food before he does," said
Carrion, speaking of his dog. "If we've been in the car all
day, the first thing we do when we get home is to go run and
play." "He was my child," said Bortnowsky, speaking of
Ajax. "He was a good dog, a loyal dog," Lopez said of
Szultan, who once was pistol-whipped in the head by a
suspect. Szultan didn't budge and went right on gripping the
suspect's leg in his teeth. "I would go through any door or
any situation with him (Szultan) without hesitation," Lopez
said. Lopez said the department plans to replenish the K-9
force with two more dogs.
K9 Sultan is listed under 2000 - S |
Memorials
to Fallen K-9s