In Loving Memory of
K9 LIBERTY
December 10, 2014
Handler: Sgt. Lisa Nyland
Maryland Natural Resources
USA
Maryland Natural Resources Police Mourns the Passing of K-9 Liberty
The Maryland Natural Resources Police mourns the passing of Liberty, the senior member of the K-9 team, who died Wednesday
night at the age of 13. The yellow Lab was the long-time partner of Sgt. Lisa Nyland, the founder of NRP’s K-9 unit, and was
based at the agency’s Hillsboro office in Queen Anne’s County. Liberty’s specialty was detecting human remains and tracking
human scent during search-and-rescue missions. “Liberty was our first specialty cadaver detection K-9,” said
Col. George F. Johnson IV, NRP superintendent. “Her contributions to NRP’s mission and assistance to other law
enforcement agencies were invaluable.”
At Nyland’s command to search, Liberty worked with singular purpose, following the scent and alerting her handler where
to look with a high-pitched bark. Liberty’s reward for a job well done was a few moments of play with her favorite ball.
“She was one of a kind,” said Nyland. “She excelled in water search and forensic investigations, locating numerous
drowning and homicide victims during her 11 working years. She will be profoundly missed.” In 2008, Liberty and one
of Nyland’s other dogs, Patriot, teamed up to help crack a two-year-old murder case involving a man who shot his
ex-girlfriend, cut up her body and burned the pieces in a 55-gallon drum behind his Somerset County home.
Patriot found the skeletal remains of the victim and Liberty detected tiny drops of blood on the wall that the murderer
missed when he cleaned up the crime scene. “What Liberty did was phenomenal,” Nyland said. Nyland started NRP’s
K-9 unit in 1994, with contributions from local businesses and Jesse, a yellow lab from the local animal shelter. The
pair proved their worth, finding a newborn baby in a Delaware trash bin and a Boy Scout missing for several days in
Dorchester County. They also spent a six-day shift searching the charred rubble of the Pentagon after 9/11.
When Jesse had to be euthanized in 2005, just shy of her 11th birthday, NRP planted a dogwood tree outside the eastern
regional office in Queen Anne’s County. Liberty was born two days before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “The Pentagon
was why I got Liberty,” says Nyland. “I wanted to be ready in case something else happened. "Hobbled by a bad hip
in later years, Liberty was semi-retired, but there were times when the dog would join Nyland on some tougher cases
with Patriot and Justice, Nyland’s youngest dog. Next year, NRP will plant another dogwood tree at the Hillsboro
office in honor of Liberty.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
In Loving Memory of
K9 LUCA
October 29, 2014
Handlers: Officer Maurizio, Sgt. Mike Goosby, & Officer Mike Peters
Los Angeles Police Department
California
Luca was the most successful K9 in LAPD history to this day. Luca retired from active duty 3 years ago in January 2011.
He was adopted by my family to offer him the retirement he so much deserved.
While on active duty,
Luca had over 250 successful searches. Luca died at 0900 on October 29, 2014, his approximate age was 15.
Luca will be greatly missed. Strength and Honor Luca
submitted by
maurizio cascapera <romanpower@yahoo.com>
In Loving Memory of
K9 LOKI
September 9, 2014
Handler: Cpl. John Artibey
Gary Police Department
555
Polk
St.
Gary,
IN
46402
Four-year-old K9 Loki dies from cancer - Handler: Cpl. Artibey
One
of
the
city’s
most
active
police
dogs
died
Tuesday
when
it
was
discovered
he
had
cancer,
police
said.
Loki,
who
would
have
turned
4
years
old
later
this
month,
appeared
bloated
during
a
training
session
Tuesday
with
his
handler,
Cpl. John Artibey, police spokeswoman Cpl. Gabrielle King said. Artibey
and
Loki
worked
for
a
time
with
the
Lake
County
Gang
Unit
and
have
assisted
several
law
enforcement
agencies
with
searches
and
apprehensions.
“We
had
a
lot more criminals to capture,” Artibey said. A local veterinarian recommended
that
Artibey
should
take
Loki
to Purdue University, where he was diagnosed with a large tumor on his
liver.
Artibey
made
the
“gut-wrenching”
decision
to
have
Loki
put
down,
King
said.
The
dog
“was
obviously
in
excruciating
pain,”
she
said.
Artibey
accrued
about $6,000 in veterinary bills for Loki, who was purchased through the
Gary
K9
Association.
King
said
the
Gary K9 Association is accepting donations to defray the cost of Loki’s
care.
Anyone wishing to donate can mail them to P.O. Box 64409, Gary, IN 46401.
submitted
by
Jim
Cortina,
Dir.
CPWDA
(I
graduated
from
Lew
Wallace
HS.....lulu)
In Loving
Memory of
K9 LUNA
September
2014
(need photo)
Handler: Need name
Stinnett Police Department
609 MacKenzie Ave
Stinnett, TX 79083
(806) 878-2422
Police
K-9
dies
of
apparent
heat
stroke
Stinnett
Police
Chief
Andrew
Trahan
confirms
the
department's
only
active
K-9
police
dog
has
died
from
an
apparent
heat
stroke.
Trahan
said
the
officer
who
is
responsible
for
taking
care
of
the
German
Shepherd,
"Luna",
left
her
for
about
36
hours
outside
in a kennel, and came home to find her dead. The officer told Trahan he
did
provide
Luna
with
enough
food
and
water
for the 36 hours. According to the department Luna and another dog, a retired
K-9,
were
both
outside;
the
retired
dog
was okay when the officer got home. The city purchased Luna in November
2013
for
a
little
more
than
$10,000.
Trahan
said "Rumors of Luna being locked inside a garage without food and water
are
just
that,
a
rumor."
The
department
ordered
an
autopsy
of
Luna
which
concluded,
"The
clinical
history
is
strongly
suspicious
for
death
by
heat
stroke."
Trahan
said
as of now the department doesn't plan to replace her.
submitted
by
Jim
Cortina,
Dir.
CPWDA
I
would
love
to
make
my
personal
comments
on
this...
but
I
will
leave
it
to
all
of
the
readers
of
my
sad
reporting..... !
lulu
In
Loving
Memory of
K9 LEKTOR
Week
of July 20,
2014
Handler:
Sergeant
Mike Henne
Yakima
Police
Department
200 S 3rd St
Yakima, WA
Yakima
police say
goodbye to
first K-9
dog
There’s been
a loss for
the Yakima
Police
Department.
The
department's
first patrol
K-9 died
earlier this
week.
K9 Lektor
served on
the force
for eight
years.
Sergeant Mike Henne was Lektor's
handler before adopting him. Henne says
the K-9 helped find hundreds of suspects
and
evidence.
He says it's been hard coping. "To go
downhill is really, really difficult,”
said Sergeant Mike Henne. “But still
I
look back
at it as that was the highlight of my career ---- so far was the time I
spent working with my dog."
Lektor started working with YPD when he was about a year and a half.
Lektor was 16 years old.
Donations paid to bring the K-9 officer
to the force.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir.
CPWDA
In
Loving Memory of
K9 LEE
May 9,
2014
Handler:
Sergeant Nick Bearden
Walton
County Sheriff’s Office, FL
The Walton
County Sheriff’s Office is remembering one of its own – K9 “Lee” who
passed away on May 9th (Friday) due to health issues. K9 Lee retired
on September 29th, 2013, after nine years of service to the
Sheriff’s Office and the citizens of Walton County. He began his law
enforcement career with the Sheriff’s Office in 2004. K9 Lee worked
with two handlers and has been Sergeant Nick Bearden’s partner since
2007. He had approximately 1,742 hours of training, 1,218
deployments, 844 alerts with finds, tracked and apprehended 22
suspects and recovered 8 children who were lost. The biggest drug
bust of K9 Lee’s career was 20 lbs of cocaine found off I-10 in
2010.
Sergeant Bearden and K9 Lee won the Top Dog Award in 2011 at the
United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) Regional Field
Trials and finished in the top 20 at the USPCA National Competition
held in Perl, MS. In 2013, Sergeant Bearden and K9 Lee were selected
as the USPCA Detector Case of the 1st quarter. K9 Lee had
certifications for narcotic detection and tracking through USPCA as
well as through the National Narcotic Detection Dog Association
(NNDDA). Sheriff Mike Adkinson said “We are grateful to K9 Lee and
for all the contributions he made in making our community safer.” K9
Lee was more than a partner, he was a loyal companion, a trusted
teammate and a true friend. We will miss him but never forget him.
submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA
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Memorials
to Fallen K-9s