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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW (No heading) ... Our View: Charging ahead on supporting electric vehicles ... Rogue River man allegedly copped to fatal knifing, affidavit says ... (No heading) ... Our View: Charging ahead on supporting electric vehicles ... Rogue River man allegedly copped to fatal knifing, affidavit says ... PUBLIC SAFETY Veteran K-9 retires after catching 91 suspects Comment By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 13, 2015 at 3:07 PM Updated Jan 13, 2015 at 9:55 PM By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 13, 2015 at 3:07 PM Updated Jan 13, 2015 at 9:55 PM » Social News A well-known canine at the Jackson County Sheriff's Department is leaving his day job of tracking down crime suspects for a well-deserved rest. Darco, a Belgian Malinois that has been with the agency for nine years, retired Tuesday, department officials said. Working as a patrol dog, Darco's primary function has been to track suspects. "He can track human scent, whether that be a suspect's from a traffic stop, or he runs from the police in whatever scenario, he can follow that scent," said Deputy Dave Avery, who has been teamed up with Darco since 2009. The 12-year-old pooch had started to show signs of aging, and his handler decided it was time for Darco to cash out. Avery moved over to the department's civil division after 10 years of K-9 work. Born in 2003 in the Netherlands, Darco was trained under the Koninklijke Nederlandse Politiehond Vereniging program, for which he received nearly a perfect score. He started his sheriff's department career in 2009 with Deputy Chris Turner until Turner's departure in 2009. Since then he's been partnered with Avery — and he'll stay with Avery going forward, as the deputy's pet. During his time on the job, Darco helped catch 91 suspects, police said. Police dogs are sometimes less social than other dogs because of the nature of the job, Avery said. Darco is unique, however. "Darco's been really social his whole life," Avery said. "He's really affectionate, loves human contact. He's still able to do his job as a patrol dog and apprehend bad guys and do everything that's expected of him, but at the same time, he's been a really lovable puppy." Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune Posted Jan. 13, 2015 at 3:07 PM Updated Jan 13, 2015 at 9:55 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501