In Loving
Memory of
K9 PONCH
2009
Handler: Ofc. Gleason
Panama City Beach Police
Panama City
Police Department
1209 E. 15th St.
Panama City, Florida 32405
Poncho's remains come home
4/7/11 - Florida found in
2011
After their K9 went missing, Panama
City Beach officials held a solemn funeral for Poncho the
police dog and named a portion of Frank Brown Park after
him. On Wednesday, Panama City Beach officials announced
Poncho’s remains finally had been brought home and that he
is at a final, eternal rest. Beach Police Chief Robert
Harding said his department now has closure in the
case.“There had been a lot of rumors flying around. This dog
was seen at the Hombre golf course” and other places,
Harding said. “This puts an end to those rumors. The dog was
lost.”
Poncho, a Belgian malinois
similar to a German shepherd, went missing July 10, 2009,
while searching for three felony suspects who fled from
officers into a wooded area north of Back Beach Road and
west of Alf Coleman Road. Poncho did his job well that day —
the suspects came out of the woods and were caught — but
Poncho never answered his handler’s call. Search teams and a
helicopter were used to find Poncho, but the wooded area was
too thick and until this week no one was able to locate the
dog.
Crews from the St. Joe Co. found the dog’s remains and his
collar this week while clearing the area. Poncho will now be
buried in his park in a quiet simple ceremony, Harding said.
Two of the suspects captured on the day Poncho was lost,
Christopher Leigh Ashley and Brandon Garrett Ashley, have
been ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution to the city of
Panama City Beach for the loss of Poncho, Harding wrote in a
news release. He added there will be no criminal charges
against them now that the remains have been found. “We’re
not going to be able to prove anything,” Harding said. “He
could have gone down to heat exposure. It could have been
snakebite. We really just don’t know.”
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA (in 2011)
In Loving Memory of
K9 PHILOS
date 2009
Handler: Lt. Robert “Bobby” Glaser
Baton Rouge Police Department’
704 Mayflower St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Non-Emergencies
(225) 389-2000
Administration
(225) 389-3800
Jeff Leduff-Chief of Police -
brpdinfo@brgov.com
(Painting by Tracy)
Baton Rouge police dog died and his police handler was injured today when
their patrol car was broadsided. Philos, an 8-year-old German
shepherd who was part of the Baton Rouge Police Department’s canine
unit, was taken to a local veterinary hospital where he died from
injuries he suffered in the accident, Sgt. Don Kelly, a Baton Rouge
Police Department spokesman, said in a news release.
Lt. Robert “Bobby” Glaser, 50, Philos’ handler, suffered moderate
injuries while the other driver, Jesse Isiah Farris, 22, of 10061 Moss
Lea Drive, suffered minor injuries, Kelly said.
Farris was booked into Parish Prison on counts of DWI, first-degree
vehicular negligent injuring, reckless operation, driving the wrong way
on a one-way street and driving with a suspended driver’s license, Kelly
said.
The accident occurred when Glaser was driving westbound on Government
Street at about 1:30 a.m.
Farris was driving a 2006 Lincoln pickup truck southbound on St. Charles
Street — which was the wrong direction on the one-way street — when the
pickup truck broadsided Glaser’s police unit, Kelly said.
The impact caused Glaser’s Dodge Charger patrol car to roll over,
eventually coming to rest on its wheels.
Glaser was removed from the vehicle by rescuers and taken to a local
hospital where he is expected to recover from his injuries, Kelly said.
The police lieutenant had returned to work in late June after being shot
four times in February by a 16-year-old armed robbery suspect whom
Glaser was trying to question. The shooter was later arrested by other
Baton Rouge officers.
Philos is the first Baton Rouge Police dog to die in the line of duty in
over 20 years, Kelly said.
Two other dogs died in the 1980s from injuries suffered while they were
working, Kelly said.
Brute died in 1988 after being bitten by a brown recluse spider while
tracking a robbery suspect. Max was shot to death in 1985 while chasing
a car thief. submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory of
K9 PHANTOM
2009
(to do .. need more info)
Handler:
New
Orleans Police Department
Louisiana
WEBSITE -
http://www.cityofno.com/Portals/Portal50/portal.aspx
( death from
fall
)
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory of
K9 PRIMO
2009
Handler: Officer Jason Lewis
New Orleans Police Department
Heat killed police dog left in
car, report says
This is the NOPD K-9 vehicle where police dog Primo was trapped,
tearing up the interior before dying of heat exhaustion.
NOPD
Canine Unit dog Primo.
A New Orleans police dog left unattended in
a police vehicle in late May died from shock likely associated with
heat stroke, after ripping up the car's seats in a desperate attempt
to get out, according to a report obtained by the Metropolitan Crime
Commission. Primo, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois, collapsed at a
veterinarian's clinic with a temperature of 109.8 degrees, a
necropsy report by the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic
Laboratory shows. Later transferred to the Southeast Veterinary
Emergency and Critical Care Clinic in Metairie, Primo got emergency
treatment, but died after suffering three seizures, according to the
report obtained by the Crime Commission, an independent law
enforcement oversight group.
A dog's body temperature, under normal conditions, is slightly
higher than a human's, with medical texts warning that dogs need to
be immediately cooled off if temperatures rise above 105 degrees.
Photographs of the K-9 unit SUV where Primo was reportedly left by
officer Jason Lewis, also obtained by the Crime Commission, offer
evidence of the distress experienced by the dog while left inside
the car. The dog, a trained member of the New Orleans Police
Department, tore up both of the front seats of the SUV. The photos
show the seats were reduced to chunks of yellow foam and fabric.
Police Department procedures generally bar direct media contacts
with officers, and Lewis couldn't be reached for comment Monday.
"Those photos confirm the horrible and excruciating death this
animal suffered, " said Rafael Goyeneche, the president of the Crime
Commission. Goyeneche said Primo's death should be investigated for
possible criminal charges and referred the case, along with the
details of two other recent dog deaths within the K-9 unit, to the
Orleans Parish district attorney's office to consider under a state
cruelty to animals statute.
District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro said his office is investigating
the incidents, declining to comment further. Bob Young, police
spokesman, said the department's Public Integrity Bureau is
investigating the circumstances of Primo's death. If investigators
believe there is a possible criminal case, they will refer their
findings to the DA's office, he said. But Young noted that while the
necropsy report found a likely cause of death was "shock due to heat
stress, " the medical examination did not definitively find that the
temperature inside the vehicle caused the heat-related symptoms.
While Young acknowledged that the dog was left unattended in the
vehicle, he said the report could not rule out the possibility that
another medical problem caused the dog to overheat. But Goyeneche
said it lacks common sense to leave an animal in a car in late May.
Temperatures at Louis Armstrong International Airport peaked at 88
degrees on May 27, the day of the incident. "Police officers are
supposed to treat these dogs as their partners, " Goyeneche said.
Often mistaken for the German shepherd, the Belgian Malinois is an
agile sheep-herding dog, elegant in its build but known for its
strength and high energy.
Like the shepherd, it is popular as a military and police working
dog. The NOPD often uses members of its K-9 unit to search buildings
believed to be harboring dangerous suspects. The Police Department
spends thousands of dollars buying and training such animals. A
transfer list obtained from the city Civil Service Department shows
that on June 21, Lewis was transferred from the K-9 unit to the 2nd
District. Young said Lewis asked for the transfer. The death of
Primo occurred about the same time as two other deaths within the
K-9 unit, according to the Crime Commission.
A dog named Phantom died after plunging down an elevator shaft
during a training exercise at the Charity Hospital building, while
another dog, Carlos, died from heartworms, Goyeneche said in his
letter to the DA's office. The NOPD is not investigating the death
of Carlos, who was 14 and died of a heart attack, Young said. But
Public Integrity investigators are looking into the circumstances
around the elevator-shaft death, he said. During the search training
exercise, the dog was able to squeeze through a small opening in
an elevator door.
Phantom was on a long leash, held by a handler, but the K-9 officers
were not able to save him after he dropped into the shaft, Young
said. The ring that held the leash to the dog's collar snapped,
allowing the dog to fall, he said. Young said the recent deaths have
been felt within the K-9 unit. "For these dog handlers, that is
their partner. It is very traumatic to them also, " he said. Indeed,
dogs trained to work with law enforcement agencies are considered
official members of the department, typically living with their
human partners when not on the job.
Intentionally injuring or killing a police animal is a crime
punishable under Louisiana law with a minimum of one year jail time.
The cruelty to animals statute, a misdemeanor, applies to all
animals. It can be applied to people who mistreat an animal through
criminal negligence, and can result in jail time or fines. There are
currently nine dogs in the K-9 unit, including seven experienced
animals and two in training. Goyeneche asked citizens with more
information about the dog deaths to call the Metropolitan Crime
Commission at 504.524.3148.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
MORE
Primo's car....
Animal Groups Hold Ceremony For
Police Dog
Primo The K-9 Died Of Heat Exhaustion In
Locked Car. Animal
rescue and humane organizations held a memorial service Wednesday in
honor of Primo, the police dog believed to have died of heat
exhaustion after being left in a locked squad car. Primo died May 27
after he was left in an unattended police car by his human partner,
New Orleans Police Officer Jason Lewis. The groups performed a
wreath-laying ceremony at noon in front of the New Orleans Police
Department headquarters on Broad Street.
"We have heard from people from different parts of the country and
world, all expressing their outrage over Officer Lewis' action and
sadness for Primo's suffering and untimely death. If NOPD is hoping
that this latest incident involving the death of a dog by one of its
officers will go away quickly, they are mistaken," said Jeff Dorson,
executive director of the Humane Society of Louisiana, the
organizing group for Wednesday's ceremony. The Humane Society is
hoping that Primo's death prompts change in the police department
and ensures that all officers have the training they need to care
for animals in their custody. The group is also pushing for criminal
charges against Lewis. The case is currently being investigated as
an administrative matter by NOPD, but the Metropolitan Crime
Commission has also pushed for a criminal investigation. A law
passed several years ago makes it a specific crime to injure or kill
a police dog, according to the Humane Society. It is a felony, with
penalties that range from a fine of not less than $2,500 to not more
than $3,000 and not less than one year in jail with or without hard
labor and not more than three years, or both.
Besides the Humane Society of Louisiana, representatives from the
Muttshack Animal Rescue Foundation and the Animal Rescue Front will
be on hand to participate in the wreath-laying ceremony.
follow up:
July 22, 2009
NOPD Superintendent Riley defends K-9 unit care after
death of police dog
Batina Brockamp, Chris
McLaughlin and NOPD assistant superintendent Marlon Defillo
place flowers at Sirgo PLaza in front of NOPD headquarters
Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The flowers were placed in memory
of Primo, a police K-9 who died while unattended in a police
unit. Brockamp is with Muttshack Animal Rescue while
McLaughlin is with the Animal Rescue Front. McLaughlin has
called for the prosecution of the police officer responsible
for the death of Primo.
New Orleans police dog that was
left in a locked car tore the inside of the police cruiser
to shreds before collapsing and dying of heat.
New Orleans Police Superintendent
Warren Riley today said police dog Primo, who died of
apparent heat shock in late May, should have been kept cool
by a system in the K-9 unit vehicle where he was left
unattended for an undisclosed period of time before being
rushed to a veterinarian's office. "We are not sure what the
cause of his death was. It is under investigation," Riley
said at an afternoon news conference at police headquarters.
If Officer Jason Lewis, the dog's
handler, left the animal in the car without these protective
systems turned on, "he certainly would be facing charges,"
Riley said. "The early indications are the systems in the
car were on and the systems were working." Riley said it is
his understanding that Primo was left in the SUV with the
air conditioning running. Plus, if the vehicle is turned on,
there is an emergency system that rolls down the windows and
turns on the ventilation system if the internal temperature
in the vehicle rises above 86 degrees, Riley said.
Dr. Gary Levy, the veterinarian
contracted to care for the New Orleans Police Department's
dogs, noted that Primo's autopsy showed his temperature was
109.8 degrees when brought to a clinic. "This is consistent
with heat stress, heat stroke," Levy said at the news
conference. "However, that can happen independently of being
in an overheated vehicle. You can have a dog in a 70 degree
room and through a seizure or other anxiety level attacks
can generate that level of body heat."
Primo did not have a history of
seizure or anxiety disorders, Levy said. The Metropolitan
Crime Commission obtained a copy of the necropsy report
referenced by Levy, which was done by the Louisiana Animal
Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. While the report did not rule
out any medical cause for Primo's death, it concluded that
the most likely cause of death was "shock due to heat
stress." The MCC, which asked the Orleans Parish district
attorney's office to investigate the dog's death, also
released photographs of the inside of the car, which showed
Primo shredded the front seats down to the metal frames
before he was taken to the veterinarian clinic.
Rafael Goyeneche, president of the
Crime Commission, said the photographs show the level of
distress experienced by the dog. Orleans Parish District
Attorney Leon Cannizzaro has said he is investigating
whether there was any criminal negligence associated with
Primo's death. The NOPD's Public Integrity Bureau is also
conducting an investigation. Goyeneche said the
investigation needs to focus on a number of still unclear
issues, such as ensuring that Lewis is not the only source
for the assertion that the air conditioning was turned on
when Primo was left in the car.
"It is imperative that somebody
other than the officer corroborate that air conditioning and
everything was operating at maximum efficiency when that dog
was in the car," he said. He also noted that the necropsy
report did not show that Primo, a Belgian Malinois described
as being either 6 or 7 years old, had any other medical
conditions, such as a brain tumor, that would lead the dog
to have seizures for a reason other than heat stroke.
( submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA)
UPDATE- 9/1/10
Lewis was sentenced to a six-month suspended jail
sentence, six months of probation
and restitution of $12,000,
the cost to replace a trained police dog.
"We see this case as a result of a good team effort between
multiple agencies and departments cooperating to see justice
served for Primo," said HSL Director Jeff Dorson. "We also
thank the Orleans District Attorney's Office for
aggressively pursuing this matter to its rightful
conclusion."
MORE:
9/1/10
A former New
Orleans police officer pleaded guilty Wednesday to an
animal cruelty charge in connection with the death of
Primo, his police dog.
Officer Jason Lewis
admitted leaving his K-9 partner, a 6-year-old Belgian
Malnois, in his locked police car last summer, according
to the Humane Society of Louisiana. Necropsy reports
showed that Primo suffered from heat exhaustion,
experienced at least three seizures after his
temperature reached more than 108 degrees, and died
while receiving treatment at the Southeast Veterinary
Clinic in Metairie on the same day, the group said.
Images released by the Metropolitan Crime Commission
showed how the dog shredded the seats inside the cruiser
in an attempt to escape. Lewis was sentenced to a
six-month suspended jail sentence, six months of
probation and restitution of $12,000, the cost to
replace a trained police dog. "We see this case as a
result of a good team effort between multiple agencies
and departments cooperating to see justice served for
Primo," said HSL Director Jeff Dorson. "We also thank
the Orleans District Attorney's Office for aggressively
pursuing this matter to its rightful conclusion."
Oct. 8, 2010 update:
Judge Terry Alarcon sentenced Lewis to probation and a
suspended six-month jail term. On Friday, the court
approved the $11,500 in restitution.
submitted by Jim Cortina,
Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory
of
K9 PATTON
July 7, 2009
Handler: Officer Kara
McIntosh
Mount Holly Police Department
Chief Steve Martin
23 Washington St.
Mount Holly, NJ 08060
(609) 267-0170 x
102 - FAX (609) 267-6627 - (609) 845-1150
SPCA looks into
police dog's death
The New
Jersey SPCA is conducting an investigation after the death of a dog
assigned to Mount Holly's police force. Patton, the township police
dog used to sniff out explosives and other weapons, is dead, and one
person said it’s because he was left in a hot car too long. The
4-year-old Golden Retriever died Tuesday. One source, who
asked to remain anonymous, said Patton died as the result of being
left in a hot car for an extended period of time. The source said
Patton was found close to death in the car and taken to an animal
hospital, but died. The source added that the dog, its training and
the specialized vehicle needed to transport the animal officer were
funded through a state grant worth over $100,000.
Police Chief Steven Martin confirmed yesterday that Patton had died
but did not release any other details. Martin said Patton’s handler,
Officer Kara McIntosh, was not in yesterday, and he wanted her to
compile a biography of the dog listing his achievements over his
three years with the department. Published reports said Patton was
acquired by the department in 2006. He was rescued from an animal
shelter when he was 1½. McIntosh, then only three years on the force
herself, was assigned as the dog’s handler, taking the dog home with
her, even when off-duty. State SPCA spokesman Matt Stanton said the
agency is conducting an "active investigation," but gave no
specifics. Mount Holly police also will conduct an investigation,
Martin said. submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
In
Loving Memory of
K9 PARI
July 2009
 
Coimbatore India
India Environmental Portal
CoimbatoreSniffer dog dead
Coimbatore (PTI)(India Environmental Portal) A sniffer dog,
which won several medals, in its decade-long association with
the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad died here on Friday. The
dog, Pari, joined the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, in 1999
when it was two months old and had six months training in
Chennai. The 10 year-old-dog had won 28 medals including 16 gold
medals, in various competitions and 'retired from service last
year.' Pari was instrumental in detecting explosives stored
illegally in a factory at Hosur and also sensing a bomb on a
railway track near Erode in 2001, police said.
MORE>>>>>>>>>
Tamil Nadu -
Coimbatore
Sniffer
dog, Rana bids adieu to service to retire... K9 Pari was part of
the team
SELDOM HAVE dogs got their due for the service rendered to
mankind. `Rana', did more than that to keep the residents of
Coimbatore safe, during the tumultuous years of 1997-98, when
the city was raked by sporadic incidents of communal rage. Rana,
a German Shepherd was born on December 11, 1995 and inducted
into police service when hardly two-and-a-half-months-old. It
completed the basic training in obedience and sniffing
explosives at the Tamil Nadu Commando School (Chennai), before
going through the rigours of the Central Reserve Police at the
Chennai Commando School. Posted to the Coimbatore city police's
bomb squad in September 1997, the violence during the serial
blasts marked the beginning of an arduous schedule for the
canine.
Its services proved invaluable for
the Anti-Sabotage Team, as it was the only single sniffer dog
available at the peak of the crisis, say the Bomb Detection
Disposal Squad in charge Sub-Inspectors, N. Karnan and K.
Maniyan. Rana is credited with having successfully managed the
entire workload on its own when the bombs had been planted in
the city during
height of the communal violence.
Going by the number of calls Rana
had to attend every day, the police brought in two more sniffer
dogs, Pari,
a Doberman in 2000, and Meghala, a Labrador in 2001. Their entry
reduced the workload for Rana to a great extent. Today the
police have Seetha and Nelson, German Shepherds, and Madhavi, a
Doberman for crime detection and tracking. This apart, the
canine also romped home with the `Best Breed' trophy at the
State Police Duty Meet at Chennai in 2002. Recalling the service
rendered by Rana, the police say it had attended as many as 487
calls, of which around 50 led to detection of live explosives.
At this juncture it would only be noteworthy to state that, but
for the invaluable services rendered by Rana, the loss of lives
in the
serial blasts would have been much greater.
On February 14, 1998, a fiat car
packed with RDX was parked on Lokmanya Tilak Street in R.S.
Puram, a few hundred metres away from the dias on which the then
Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, was to address a public
meeting. Police estimate that had the bombs detonated, a major
part of R.S. Puram would have been blown to smithereens.
Nevertheless, the serial blasts that took place in 17 places,
resulted in the loss of 58 lives and caused injuries to more
than 200 people, in addition to the destruction of private and
government property, worth Rs. 17 crores. The subsequent calls
from the public on suspicious objects found abandoned in various
areas forced Rana to work almost round-the-clock. The other
significant breakthroughs were the detection of a bomb planted
in a tea can on Thirumal Street, buried pipe bombs and explosive
materials at Maniyan Thottam.
After a brief lull, when extremists attempted to plant an
explosive at Variety Hall Road-police quarters, it was Rana
again who foiled their plans. With several cases under its belt,
this eight-year canine is finally retiring. And the city police
are leaving no stone unturned to make life
comfortable for him
after its retirement.
A public auction has been organized
at the City Police office on Sunday, wherein interested persons
can deposit Rs. 3,000 and make a bid to own the coveted canine,
said some bomb squad personnel. The handlers have also planned
to visit the dog once in a week to ensure that Rana settles down
comfortably with his new master. Owners of big bungalows and
private security agencies have already shown interest in
participating in the auction. Once Rana retires, efforts would
begin to bring another pup to replace him. Until then, it would
be up to Pari and Meghala to keep the city safe.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
|
Memorials
to Fallen K-9s