RACINE — The Racine County Sheriff's Office is celebrating the retirement of one of its K9s.
K9 Nitro finished his last patrol shift this week after nine years with the sheriff's office.
According to a news release, K9 Nitro was born on Oct. 10, 2012, in Hungary. He made his way to North Carolina where he was partnered with his current handler, Sgt. Troy Ruffalo.
The Racine County Sheriff's Office said K9 Nitro is a dual-purpose K9, certified in narcotic detection, evidence/article search, building search, tracking, handler protection, and criminal apprehension.
He participated in over 16 training hours each month throughout his career, adding up to over 2,000 training hours.
Some of the most impressive feats of Nitro's career include a 2015 incident when he tracked down suspects of a bank robbery. He also tracked down a suspect who had maliciously attacked a deputy and then fled into a field.
Officials said Nitro's nose helped lead detectives to countless seizures of hidden narcotics.
Now that he's retiring, K9 Nitro will reside with his handler, Sgt. Ruffalo, and Ruffalo's family.
