K-9 olympians

Connecticut State Trooper Nicholas P. Leary, an awardee of the Carnegie Medal, and his three-year-old K-9 partner Elvis apprehend criminals, locate missing persons, and serve as ambassadors to school groups and other organizations.  In July of 2014 they placed first in the annual Connecticut Police K-9 Olympics, held at the University of Connecticut.  The day-long event, involving teams from the state police, local police departments, the state’s department of corrections, and the greater Boston, Mass., area, included competition in obedience, obstacles, building search, marksmanship, and apprehension/bite drills.  The top placement by Leary, 45, and Elvis, was a first for the Connecticut State Police in the 23-year history of the Olympics.  Leary received his Carnegie Medal in 2008 in recognition of his rescuing a woman from her burning second-floor apartment in Danielson on Aug. 9, 2007.  He was on duty at the time of the early-morning fire but was not trained or equipped to effect a rescue of the type.  After crawling into the woman’s burning bedroom, Leary dragged her from the unit and, as flames breached the apartment’s walls, took her downstairs and outside with help from another trooper.  Leary donated the financial grant that accompanied the medal to The Jimmy Fund of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brookline, Mass.