K9 Memorial Stone Arrives At East Haven Police Department

EAST HAVEN, CT — In early 2020, retired East Haven police officer Joe Peterson came to town officials with a request — to memorialize his K9 partner, Bear.

The East Haven Police Department has a memorial stone dedicated to its officers, and it has headstones for the three K9s who are buried there. But it lacked recognition for all 18 dogs who have served the department — including Bear, who was Peterson's partner for a decade.

Read more: East Haven Police K-9 Bear Laid To Rest

So East Haven Town Council Chair Joe Deko and Mayor Joseph Carfora got to work. They combed police records and spoke with former officers to compile a list of the town's K9s, then the East Haven Memorial Funeral Home — co-owned by Deko and James Integlia — donated money to buy the memorial.

"We wanted a specific stone for all of the K9s," Deko told Patch. "We wanted everyone to be recognized on there, and that's why we chose to go this route."

But obtaining the stone did not come without its complications.

The project took a backseat when the COVID-19 pandemic began. And when Deko and Carfora started working on it again in early 2021, they ran into issues obtaining the stone itself (at one point it was stuck on a ship in New York, Deko said), and issues also arose with the stenciling.

Read more: K9 'Bear,' Other Police Dogs To Be Honored On Memorial Stone

After months of work, the stone arrived today at the East Haven Police Department. Deko said it's currently sitting in storage, where it will remain until the ground thaws enough to move it to its final home — at the department, next to the other memorials.

"The design was approved well over a year ago, and it was just waiting for supplies," Deko said. "So that's what took a little bit of time, but we're happy that it's there."

And the public is happy as well: A post announcing the stone on the East Haven Police Department's Facebook page has over 400 likes and 28 comments, most of which are of hearts and/or thank yous.

Deko said he and Integlia were happy their business could fund the stone donation, as they saw it as a way to thank the police department.

"It's always hard to give back to people who give so much," Deko said. "But this opportunity was the perfect fit to give back to the police department."