K-9 Thor Sniffed Out Drugs, Suspects

On a cold night in 2005, Montville police responded to Kevah Konner Bus Company in the Pine Brook section of the township on a report of a burglary.

Thor, the department's K-9, traced the suspect's path and found a money envelope along the route. A fingerprint lifted from the envelope led to the suspect's arrest and linked him to several other burglaries in Montville and surrounding towns.

It was one of more than 100 busts Thor was involved with in his seven years working with the department, authorities said Wednesday as they remembered the German Shepherd who died Saturday. Thor—assigned Badge No. 81—was having back problems and was put down after being diagnosed with lymphoma, Capt. Edward Rosellini said. Thor was 10 years old.

Officer Frank Cooney was Thor's handler after being assigned the dog in September 2004. The K-9 was donated to the town by the Drug Awareness Council. Cooney's pet supply store, , provided food for the dog.

Cooney said Thor was one of the first dogs in New Jersey trained in passive indication, meaning he would sit when he smelled drugs instead of scratching at them to avoid property damage.

During traffic stops, Thor would walk around the outside of the car. If he smelled drugs, he would sit down. Police would then call for a roadside search warrant. This led to drugs and drug money being confiscated well over a hundred times, Cooney said.

Cooney said Thor will be missed.

"He was a great partner, very reliable," he said.

Among recent cases, Montville police a year ago reported Thor smelled marijuana and cocaine during a Route 46 traffic stop that led to charges against the car's two occupants, according to the Neighbor News.

Montville reported in the Spring 2009 Montville Messenger,

K-9 Thor, our narcotics trained patrol dog and his handler Officer Frank Cooney continue to keep our streets safe. In January and February alone they were requested numerous times to track suspects involved in burglaries. Within these two months they had nine narcotics finds while on motor vehicle stops. This led to nine arrests for possession of marijuana, heroin and paraphernalia.

The team continues to frequent the halls of both and for random locker and classroom searches. They always prove to be a positive asset to both this department and the community.

Thor graduated from patrol dog training on Jan. 27, 2005, at the Morris County Sheriff's Office training facility. The K-9 was trained in obedience, tracking, building searches, field searches, evidence recovery, patrol route scouting, criminal apprehension and handler protection. A few months later he began training for narcotics detection and graduated in August 2005.

Thor, the first and only K-9 on the Montville police force, visited all of the schools and gave demos to students, Cooney said.

Police officers said they expect to establish a monument for Thor near police headquarters and that he also will be commemorated by the Sheriff's Office. Rosellini said police don't know if the department will bring another K-9 on board.

"Having that dog was a great asset," Rosellini said.