 Memorials
to Fallen K-9s 2002 page 12 The F.A.S.T. Co. donates cards to all partners I need your help to inform me of such losses. |
Dept. addresses available for those who want to send condolences to officers. See below
In Loving
Memory of
Partner:
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German shepherd 'will be sorely missed,' cop says By ADJOA ADOFO Posted on Thu, Jun. 20, 2002 He was one of the guardians of the night. Woodrow, a 5 year old German shepherd, fought crime, protected his human partner, and was an asset to the police force. Yesterday, in the grass field of the Police Academy exercise yard, K-9 officers from throughout the Philadelphia area gathered to pay respects to the revered K-9 officer, who died when he was left in a hot police car for about three hours by his partner, Officer Joseph Arrison. The attendees, police officers in their K-9 uniforms and police dogs, stood solemnly as Capt. Allen Kurtz, K-9 commander, read a short anonymous poem that has been used for years by the K-9 Unit: My eyes are your eyes, to watch and protect you and yours. My ears are your ears, to hear evil minds in the dark. My nose is your nose, to scent the invader of your domain. And so you may live, my life is also yours. On May 24, Arrison had gone home, leaving Woodrow in a squad car at Police Headquarters. The heat in the rear of the vehicle reached 94 degrees and killed Woodrow, police said. Though the status of the investigation is still continuing, police believe it was just an unfortunate accident. Arrison, who is still in service, just made a mistake, police say. Arrison and Woodrow were constant companions ever since becoming partners a year ago. "Joe would take his dog wherever he went," Kurtz said. Police say Arrison was too upset to attend the service. He has Woodrow's cremated remains and will choose where to bury the ashes. Woodrow entered the service only a year ago in July. During his brief time with the police he became one of the most decorated dogs in the K-9 Unit. He was responsible for 10 arrests and many drug confiscations, police said. Officer Robert Wyszynski described Woodrow as easygoing and peaceful. Wyszynski said he used to play ball and hide-and-seek with Woodrow in the exercise yard. "He was a good police dog who loved his handler," said Sgt. Paul Bryant, head trainer of the K-9 Unit. In the exercise yard, a fenced-off K-9 memorial is set up, listing all the police dogs in the unit that have died. The board stands behind a statue of a police dog with a police badge on a chain around its neck. Woodrow's name and police No. 537 was added. "He will be sorely missed," Wyszynski said. Police give Woodrow a stirring farewell The city K-9 died last month when he was accidentally left in a hot car. By Thomas J. Gibbons Jr. - Inquirer Staff Writer MICHAEL S. WIRTZ / Inquirer Police officers honor Woodrow, a 5-year-old German shepherd, during the memorial service at the Philadelphia Police Academy. In a leafy setting at the Philadelphia Police Academy, where a statue of a benign-looking police dog sits at ease, Woodrow got a hero's goodbye yesterday morning. There were ranks of officers in starched summer uniforms who rendered in unison a crisp hand salute; prayer cards "in loving memory of K-9 Woodrow"; a bugler who played Taps; and even the staccato sound of gunfire from the nearby academy firing range that provided, coincidentally, a fitting backdrop to the scene.And there were speeches - all in memory of Woodrow, a 5 year old German shepherd who died of heat exhaustion last month after his handler accidentally left him inside a Canine Unit cruiser with the windows rolled up for more than four hours. The memorial was not open to the public."We're honoring his service to the city of Philadelphia - his short, but wonderful time of service, not the way he tragically passed away," said Capt. Alan Kurtz, who commands both the Canine and Mounted Units.Then Kurtz read a poem, written years ago - possibly by a Canine Unit officer, he said, and left behind at headquarters. My eyes are your eyes, to watch and protect you and yours. My ears are your ears, to hear evil minds in the dark. My nose is your nose, to scent invaders of your domain. And so you may live, my life is also yours. Woodrow was found dead in his compartment in the backseat of a police car at the Canine Unit at the Police Academy on May 24 shortly after 12:30 PM. His handler, Officer Joseph Arrison, 49, had stopped at the headquarters about 8 AM to drop off his patrol car and transfer Woodrow, who lived with him, to his personal car for the drive home. But, after doing some paperwork inside the squad room, Arrison, a 28-year veteran, left for home, forgetting Woodrow, who remained inside the cruiser as the temperature on the warm spring day headed into the 80s. Another officer found the animal dead around lunchtime. The dog was later cremated. Arrison, who did not attend yesterday's memorial, has been shifted out of the unit pending the results of an investigation by the Internal Affairs Division. Officers have said the accident has left him "devastated." "He was too bereaved, too upset at the very thought of coming. He just could not handle it emotionally and we understand," said Kurtz, privately explaining the officer's absence before the ceremony. Woodrow's name and badge, No. 537, were officially added yesterday to a canine memorial at the academy. City Councilman Frank Rizzo thanked the more than a dozen canine officers from outside police departments who joined city police at the ceremony, and he lauded local philanthropist Kal Rudman "for all the good things that he does for the Philadelphia Police Department." Rudman, who also was present, will pay to replace Woodrow and is also financing the purchase of two more dogs for the Canine Unit. In addition, he has pledged to pay the $400-per-vehicle cost of installing sensory systems in the unit's dozen squad cars. If the temperature in the vehicle becomes excessive, the windows will drop, a fan will kick on, and the vehicle's siren or horn will sound. Officer Mark R. Smith, of the West Whiteland Township Police Department, brought his canine partner, Caesar, to the memorial in his department car, which is equipped with the sensory system. Smith, a 21-year veteran, said he welcomed the installation of the units in 1999. They had been paid for by donations from the public. "It's an awesome responsibility," said Smith, demonstrating how the system works. "They're counting on us as much as they work for us." Then Smith spoke kindly of Arrison, whom he said he knows from training at the academy. "He's lost a part of his family," Smith said. "He's hurting." Updated: October 4th, 2004 10:49:00 AM Philadelphia K-9 Units Generously Given Cooling SIMONE WEICHSELBAUM Philadelphia Daily News via the Associated Press Cool, dreary days are common in the the Czech Republic, where a Philadelphia police dog named Levi was raised. Levi likes that kind of weather. He got a sticky hot surprise when he spent his first summer sniffing for bombs in Philadelphia, where some days feel like the business end of a blow dryer. Now, thanks to a generous philanthropist, the German shepherd won't become a hot dog. The police car he rides in has recently been outfitted with an automatic cooling system, designed to save dogs stuck in overheated cars. "Woof woof woof," Levi barked the other day as he happily climbed into the back of a police car with the help of his partner, Officer Victor Cross. Levi, 6, is among the dogs in the police K-9 Unit enjoying the dozen CoolGuard systems purchased for the Police Department by Kal Rudman, a philanthropist who frequently aids police causes. Each CoolGuard system costs about $350 and includes a vehicle temperature monitor that activates when the car interior exceeds 87 degrees. When the car gets too hot, an alarm sounds, the rear window lowers and a fan exhausts the hot air. "I never had to use it," said Officer Cross, proudly noting that his partner of two years has never experienced heat exhaustion while on the bomb-sniffing beat. The two K-9 cops recently assured the safety of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry by conducting a precautionary search for explosives at the Franklin Institute before he spoke there last month. Rudman's donation came after a story about another police dog that wasn't so lucky. Woodrow, a veteran police German shepherd, was forgotten inside his police car in May 2002. His partner, Officer Joseph Arrison, found the dog slumped over the next morning. Immediately after Woodrow's death, entertainment industry publisher Rudman called the K-9 Unit and offered to help. "It was a no-brainer," said Rudman, who learned about the cooling system and offered to equip each of the K-9 patrol cars with the devices. Rudman also has given the Police Department bullet-proof vests for dogs, horses for the now-disbanded Mounted Unit and six dogs. While Levi prefers the air conditioning on hot days, a four-legged colleague named Azeem is a fan-loving pooch. Azeem, a cadaver-sniffing K-9, likes to ride with his partner, Officer Paul Bryant, with the CoolGuard system's fan blowing over his fur. "I drop the windows and it lets a nice breeze blow across him," Bryant said. "He likes it." Azeem, 9, avoided commenting on the CoolGuard. He was too busy running in a field behind the K-9 Unit office. |
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K-9 RIK End of Watch:June 5, 2002 LODD  Partner: Deputy James Schiffler Bonneville County Sheriff's Dept. ID 605 N. Capital Idaho Falls, ID 83402- PH 208.529.1350 http://www.idahopolicek9.org/ Thank you Sgt. Chris Ward & K-9 Nolle Gooding County Sheriff's Office, Gooding, Idaho Idaho Police Canine Association for your help. www.idahopolicek9.org
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Officers say he took Idaho Falls girl from her yard
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K-9 TASJA July 1, 1994 - June 13, 2002  Partner: Terence Garrison High Point Police Department NC 1009 Leonard Avenue High Point, North Carolina 27260-5321 
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 Semper Fi, Tasja  Police remember dog partners 7-2-02 - By CHERIS HODGES, Staff Writer (Nelson Kepley/©News & Record) HIGH POINT -- K-9 Officer Tasja was, by all accounts, a loyal ball of energy. High Point police officers Tim Tonsor (center) and Terence Garrison embrace during a service honoring Tasja, a K-9 officer who died last month. From the day she came to the High Point Police Department to the day she was put to sleep, Tasja gave her all, officers said at a memorial service held in her honor Monday afternoon. Officers from patrol to vice narcotics filled the City Council chambers in City Hall to pay their respects to Tasja, who died of kidney failure last month. From finding drugs to returning lost equipment to officers, Tasja was a big part of the department, Chief Blair Rankin said during the service. Rankin recalled the time in September when Tasja captured a robber and recovered his gun as one of the highlights of her five-and-a-half-year career. Police also honored Starko, a retired K-9 who died in May. Starko was one of the department's first police dogs. "They are more than just dogs to us handlers," said Officer Tim Tonsor, the department's dog trainer, in opening the service. "They are our companions, the officers' last resort and the citizens' savior." Tonsor, who trained Tasja when she came to the department, described the dog as tenacious. But last month, the dog's kidneys began to fail. Her handler, Officer TerenceGarrison, had her put to sleep. A visibly shaken Garrison was presented with a plaque memorializing Tasja. He called his partner always faithful and loyal. "Our personalities matched," he said. "She was very outgoing." Terence Garrison and Tasja. Garrison recalled the day Tasja found a missing toddler and took her home.The little girl crept out the back door of her house while her father slept. Detectives found the little girl, but had no idea where she lived. Tasja was called in to find the girl's home. She led a track straight to the girl's back door. During her police service, Tasja recovered more than $495,000 worth of property, narcotics and cash. "She was like a nuclear powered Energizer Bunny," said Officer Daryl Delagrange. Delagrange read the eulogy at the memorial service. He called himself Tasja's biggest fan. The day Tasja was brought to High Point, Delagrange was one of the first people to meet her. "I thought, 'What a sweet dog,'" he said. But on the ride from the airport to the department's kennel, Delagrange said Tasja transformed from "Barbie to Witchblade." Delagrange said she was aggressive and ready to work. "We thought we were going to have to feed her with a slingshot." "Tasja was the alpha male of a pack of dogs," he said. "If Supergirl showed up to claim her dog, I'd understand." Contact Cheris Hodges at 883-4422, Ext. 240, or chodges@news-record.com (Contributed photo/©News & Record)
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| In
Loving Memory
of K-9 CASTOR June 28, 2002  Partner: Sgt. Frank VonCannon Asheboro Police Dept. 205 E. Academy St. Ashboro, NC 27203 336.626-1300 |
Castor came
to the Asheboro Police Department in 1989. We were assigned to a street
level Narcotics Unit. For almost six years then back to patrol until
1998. We transferred to the Vice/Narcotics Unit until Castor retired in
2001. Castor was very active in the schools. He loved kids and the more
kids the better. He had several large narcotics bust for the small town
we live in. We seized over $400,000.00 in cash and drugs over the years. In June of 2002, while enjoying retirement, Castor had what the vet said was a stroke. Two weeks later, left our family. He mwill be missed by all, including my two kids. They were not even born when Castor came to me. He was a hard working friend and will be missed. |
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