By Steve Neavling
Kirpy, a Belgian Malinois that has served with U.S. Customs and Border Protection since he was a puppy, has retired.
Kirpy was born on Thanksgiving Day in 2012 at the CBP Canine Center in El Paso and at four moths old was reared and trained at the Yuma Sector in Arizona.
His final shift with his handler Agent Rolando Carbajal was Friday.
Throughout his seven-year career, Kirpy has detected more than $85,000 worth of marijuana and hashish and more than $140,000 worth of methamphetamine. He also participated in public demonstrations at schools, RV parks and community events.
“That dog was awesome,” Special Operations Supervisor Mark Sims said in a news release. “We used Kirpy whenever we had demos. He could do it all and his temperament was really good.”
Kirpy was named after fallen Nogales Border Patrol Agent Alexander Kirpnick, who was killed in the line of duty on June 3, 1998, while trying to arrest smuggling suspects.
Kirpy is now enjoying retirement with Carbajal’s son, and he’s already gone on a fishing trip.
“He’s loving retirement,” Carbajal said. “He’s able to come inside and hang out. Everything is new [for him].”
