 Memorials
to Fallen K-9s 2005 page 11 The F.A.S.T. Co. donates sets of memorial 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 K-9 ANDY Andy Od Petrinky #634 April 17, 2005  Partner: Ofc. Lester Smith Bethlehem Township Police Dept. 4225 Easton Ave. Bethlehem, PA 18020 610.814.6410
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He
was part of my
family. Andy, whose full name was Andy Od Petrinky, arrived in the township in 1993 from Czechoslovakia where he was born, bred and trained. Smith paid $3,900 for Andy and trained with Randy Kromer of Kromerhous Kennels in Bethlehem Township so he and the dog could be certified for duty. At the time, Andy and Smith became the township’s first K9 unit and the township agreed to pay for Andy’s insurance, but Smith paid for medical bills, food and ongoing off duty training with the help of donations. In his 7.5 years with the force, Andy made 33 arrests, worked on hundreds of building searches, assisted many neighboring departments and conducted about 100 public demonstrations for civic and school organizations. He retired in November of 2000. During his years as a police dog, Andy earned 2 prestigious German police dog titles, the DPO-I in 1993, and the DPO-II in 1994 warded by a German judge for obedience and protection. The 89 pound Andy was the father of 7 puppies in 1999 and one of them, Uke eventually replaced him on the force. Uke began training to become a police dog when he was 8 weeks old and took over as the Bethlehem Township police dog when Andy retired, a rare accomplishment according to Smith who said only 5% of police dogs’ puppies end up becoming police dogs themselves. Uke is a duel purpose dog certified in patrol and drug detection, also is out on injury leave with Smith. Both dogs receive their commands in Czech. The township has one active police dog, Barry, a Belgian Malinois who came to the township in 2000. Andy reached an exceptional age for a German Shepherd. He paved the way for police dogs in Bethlehem Township. submitted by: Chelle & Lester Smith More about Andy After graduating with a Degree in Ciminal Justice, Office Smith was hired by the Bethlehem Township Police Department in 1987. In 1993 Officer Smith became the township's first and only K9 handler. His partner K-9 Andy, is a 7 year old German shepherd imported from Czechoslovakia. K-9 Andy and officer Smith hold several Geman police dog medals and titles. K-9 Andy has proven himsself over and over as a loyal partner and friend. In his spare time enjoys playing "Find the orange ball." |
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Late
entry
In Loving Memory of K-9 JOS 1996  Partner: Officer Mike Thomas University of Arizona Police Department 2558 E. Eastland St. - Tucson, AZ 85716-5721 520.326.4904 submitted by M. Thomas |
Officer
Mike Thomas and his K-9 partner "Jos" had conducted a drug
search in Tucson for Tucson Police Department. They did not know at the
time that it
was a meth lab. Shortly after, during the Clark Peak fire on Mt.
Graham, K-9 "Jos" was exposed to a lot of smoke from the fire.
Jos suffered from major breathing problems and died quickly. It was determined later that Jos suffered damage to his lungs resulting in extensive scaring. It was determined that the lung damage was attributed to the meth lab search which lead to his death. |
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| In Loving Memory of K-9 NERO May 3, 2005  Officer Chris Woodruff & 1st handler, Agent Roy Ball Roanoke Rapids Police Dept. 1040 Roanoke Ave. Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870 252.533.2810 submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA  |
Nero remembered at memorial service Todd Wetherington | Daily Herald Fellow members of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department console Officer Chris Woodruff, center in light shirt, at the close of Friday's memorial service for police dog Nero. Woodruff was Nero's handler. Lance Martin/Herald Senior Staff Writer 5/16/05 Choking back tears, Roanoke Rapids Police Chief Greg Lawson explained what Nero meant to the department in the year he served. "I get a little emotional," Lawson said during a memorial service Friday for the police K9, which was hit by a car the afternoon of May 3. "Nero's pictures speak for themselves. He was loved by children and loved to do police work." That was Nero, Lawson said. "He wasn't just a dog, he was a police officer." While Nero's successor - Brando - will arrive later in the summer and looks just like Nero and has his temperament, Lawson asked, "Will Brando every really replace Nero? No. It's a special bond handlers have with their canines." Speakers remembering the canine spoke behind a table holding an urn with Nero's remains, photos of the dog with school children and beside a patrol car, a special plaque and a floral arrangement designed as an American flag. The urn and plaque were donations from Massey and Wrenn, Clark and Hagan Funeral Homes, Inc., Lawson said, while Extra Touch Florists made the arrangement and Halifax Linen donated the cloth the memorabilia was placed on. City Narcotics Agent Roy Ball, who was Nero's first handler before he was assigned to Officer Chris Woodruff, said, "Having Nero was an honor for me." He said, "If you've never had a canine you will probably never know the bond. It's unbelievable, the camaraderie with your canine." Ball recalled when Nero tracked a little girl who had been kidnapped by her father and read a poem entitled "Guardians of the Night," a tribute to canine officers. Jim Meyer, a former lieutenant with the department and the city's earliest canine officer, told Woodruff, "Chris, I know how you feel. I know how your family feels." He explained that other officers don't understand the bond between a handler and the police dog. "It's not an insult. It's just a simple fact of life. It requires a lot of dedication and long hours. You've got to constantly be on your toes." Meyer said what happened to Nero was something officers call prey driving. Nero was hit by a car on West Tenth Street when Woodruff was exercising him and the ball he was chasing hit his snout and bounced into the street. Reiterating an earlier statement made by Sgt. Andy Jackson, Meyer said it is no coincidence that dog is "god" spelled backwards. "A dog is no less than God's reminder of unconditional love. Your dog will stand by you when nobody else will." Meyer praised the department's efforts to continue with the canine program. "It's a totally, absolutely necessary tool to police work. I appreciate the foresight of the city of Roanoke Rapids to look into another dog." Officer Terrence Tyler said even though Nero was a dog, his gentle nature should serve as a reminder, "To let us show compassion for each other." |
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| In Loving Memory of K-9 DRAKE May 11, ? 2005 Partner: Winston Salem Police Dept. 725 N. Cherry St. Winston Salem, NC 27101 336 773.7700 submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA |
YADKINVILLE - A Winston-Salem police
detective found his missing police dog dead yesterday on Falcon Road,
not far from his home near Yadkinville. Police had been searching since May 11 for Drake, a Czechoslovakian shepherd, that broke out of its kennel the night of May 10 during a storm. The dog was apparently scared by the storm and hit the cage door so hard that it moved a latch and opened the door, police Capt. David Clayton said. A vehicle hit the dog, and it appeared to have been dead for several days. "It's a sad day over here. Everybody liked the dog. He had a good work ethic and was real friendly," he said. The department had the dog for five years. It was trained to find drugs |
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In Loving Memory of K-9 YARI February 2005 Tohono O'odham Tribal Police Department P.O. Box 837 Sells, Arizona 85634 (520) 383-2221 |
Tohono O'odham Police Department Officer Ed Perez of the Tohono O'odham PD lost his partner Yari. While Officer Perez had his vehicle sitting in the parking lot of their station, the AC malfunctioned. Yari has been with the K9 unit since 200. Among his many achievements were first place narcotics detection 2001 Tucson area K-9 trials. His largest marijuana load was 1800 lbs., the smallest amount found was one seed under the rear seat of a vehicle. Yari had detected over 20,000 lbs. of marijuana on traffic stops. Within the last month, yari had 3 marijuana loads and an alert on a false bed for Border patrol that yielded 571 lbs. of cocaine. Yari also had eight patrol apprehensions. He was an asset to the Tohono O'odham PD K9 Unit and will be missed by Officer Perez, his family and the K9 unit. submitted by Jim Cortina, Dir. CPWDA |
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| In Loving Memory of K-9 MURPHY Badge # K520 May 20, 2005  Partner: Officer Jules Ferraro Canine Unit K-9, Police Academy 8501 State Road Philadlephia, PA 19136 215.685-8088 |
It is with deep regret that I let you know of yet
another faithful companion who had to be put to sleep. K-9 Murphy
handled by Phila K-9 Unit Instructor, Police Officer Jules Ferraro. His
body just could not keep pace with his spirit. Jules
Ferraro, is a true friend to our K-9 Unit and to all K-9
handlers. He is one of the finest people you could ever meet and
we know that the decision to let Murphy go was difficult one.
We join the rest of our brothers in Law Enforcement in mourning
the Philadelphia Police Department's loss.
submitted by Dan Eliason, Glassboro PD  |
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