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Luigi Amasino, Thor and Police Chief Kevin Halloran
Branford Police Officer Luigi Amasino will soon get a new partner, one he is eagerly anticipating working with on the byways of Branford. His partner is extremely intelligent, quick, protective and funny.
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His name is Thor, named after the Norse God of Thunder. He is a German Shepherd Dog, who likes to jump from car windows. He anticipates Amasino’s next move without fail. He is always at the ready to defend him, no matter what. Thor is lean – 83 pounds – and ready to go.
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At age 36, Amasino has been with the Branford P.D. for 8 – 1/2 years. Soon he will become the department’s next canine supervisor. But first he must graduate from the state police K‑9 academy in Meriden, where Amasino and Thor are now students. They will attend school for 14 weeks. All the canine students are German Shepherd Dogs and together they work 8 to 10 hours a day, in different parts of the state. They learn to live with other dogs and react in new situations. Thor is an American German Shepherd whose parents are from Czeckoslavkia.
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“This is my first police dog. I am excited. I am pumped up. And, yeah, I can’t wait to have a partner, especially Thor. I have raised him since he was an 8‑month-old puppy. He is 2 – 1/2 years old now,” Amasino told the Eagle in a recent interview outside the police station on Laurel Street.
Amasino eventually will replace Officer David Atkinson, currently the department’s canine supervisor. Neecko, who graduated from the academy in 2009, has hind leg problems and will be looking toward retirement. Click here to read about Neecko and Officer Atkinson.
Amasino said getting Thor as a family pet turned out to be perfect timing.
He and his wife and two kids live in Guilford and his kids, ages 5 and 9, wanted a dog.
“I was getting Thor for my family. Shepherds are great to have. They are a wonderful family pet and they love children.” Soon after the police department posted the canine position “I showed a lot of interest in it; I always wanted to do it. When I did get accepted to it, canine handler Atkinson met Thor.
“He took a look at Thor and he said he was a great dog and a great candidate.” He said, “Let’s give him a try. So we gave him a try and he passed all his tests. He has to show he is not scared of shiny floors or dark rooms. He has to be able to jump as you saw before, he has to be capable of climbing fire escape stairs, so he has to be pretty courageous. He has to have solid nerves. He has to be obedient. And Thor has all that.”
We asked if when he purchased Thor he thought he might someday become a police dog? “Nope, I just let him be a dog.”
Thor has mastered the first round of obedience training. He can sit, stay, and do all the other commands.
Now the tough part starts as Amasino and Thor work together at the state police canine academy in Meriden. “We do come home every night to the family and to Thor’s best friend,” Amasino said. His best friend is a French Bulldog, the family’s second dog. The Bulldog, named Bronx, after the New York borough, is 10 months old.
Transition To A Police Dog
The transformation of Thor the puppy to Thor the police dog involves an intense set of experiences and will test Thor and Amasino’s ability to face new situations. Much of their training will involve searches inside buildings, perhaps searching for a criminal suspect, or outside in marshes looking for a suspect. Thor will engage in obstacle courses, in order to show his physical stamina and agility. Amasino must learn how to carry him in case Thor is wounded.
Amasino says Thor is quick to learn and is unusually intelligent. He said he learned that on the first day he brought Thor in front of other working dogs.
“He sat there and watched those working dogs actually work and I didn’t have to tell him anything. He just picked up the game. He just worked as they had. I was amazed. Wow. I couldn’t believe this was happening. He is very smart.”
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Thor is a strong jumper. At one point he jumped out an open police car window. We asked Officer Amasino to explain. “So say I am stopping a motor vehicle and, god forbid, the driver becomes combative and it appears he is going to harm me. Then Thor would jump out the window and come to my aid,” he said.
So when you make a stop, you keep the window open? And he is not behind a barrier in the back seat? “Yes.”
As we are about to leave, Thor hears fire engines approaching, sirens blasting. His eyes follow the sound. The siren doesn’t seem to bother him. Then he slowly responds beginning with a low howl, then a bark.
Amasino says, “They get exhausted if they are constantly barking. He knows when we are going on a call, especially when I am picking up speed. He sees me on the radio. He has to learn a lot. But once you get to the call, you want him calm. You don’t want him overly excited because that takes a lot of energy out of him.”
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Police Chief Kevin Halloran said Amasino and Thor are doing well at the academy. “It has become their life and they are committed to police work. Those two will go beyond what is expected of them,” he said. “They want the program to thrive.”
We asked Amasino what interests him most about his new position.
He will still be a cop, he said, handling calls on the 4 to midnight or 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. shifts. But he will also be called out on emergencies, an armed robbery, a search, a domestic violence issue, for example. He will face new experiences with his dog at his side.
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He will also learn that dogs do more out of love than fear and when he and Thor leave the academy their bond will be so tight they will be official partners for life.
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What a wonderful piece to read! Thor is absolutely beautiful, and I wish both Officer Amasino and Thor continued success as they progress through the state police K-9 academy. I'm sure they will pass with flying colors. May Thor have a wonderful career and enjoy a very long, happy life with his buddy Bronx and loving family.