K9 officer retires after ten years on the job

TEXAS -- He's aided in hundreds of arrests but his time with the Tyler Police Department has ended. This officer is stepping down with all four paws.

K9 Officer Vaio has sniffed out his last illegal narcotics for law enforcement.

 

Vaio loves his work. He joined the Tyler Police Department in 2004 and is retiring after ten years of service. That doesn't seem like that long, but if you take into account dog years it's somewhere between 53 and 70, depending on who's conversion you use.

"K9 Viao has aided these agencies and has taken everything from grams to pounds of illegal narcotics off the streets and highways," said Police Chief Gary Swindle.

Vaio began his career with Officer Phillip Johnson, but Johnson moved on to the Drug Enforcement Agency, so Vaio partnered up with Officer Josh Hill. Together they pulled in hundreds of pounds of illegal substances and have made many arrests over the last six years.

"I would definitely say it's more rough on me than it is on him," said Hill.

Josh has a new K9, which stays with him around the clock.

"Are you worried about the dogs getting along?" I asked him.

Officer Hill would sometimes use the Chick-Fil-A drive through around lunchtime. Restaurant employees would know it was them because Vaio would bark while Officer Hill placed an order, but Viao wasn't allowed to eat that on duty. However, today at his retirement ceremony, they let him wolf down two full orders of chicken nuggets.

Vaio has helped with hundreds of arrests after sniffing out narcotics, cash, and weapons aiding the FBI, DEA and several other departments. Vaio will spend his retirement years as a member of the Hill family.

(KLTV - May 16, 2014)