K-9 at Cal Poly Police Department retires after seven years of service

Xello, a K-9 at t he Cal Poly Police Department, is trading his uniform for Scooby snacks and long walks on the beach. After seven years of service (49 dog years!), the German Shepard is retiring on July 25th.

“Working alongside Xello has been an amazing experience,” his handler, officer Stephanie Pipan said. “His retirement is much deserved.”

The 100-pound pup has been on patrol at Cal Poly for the last two-and-a-half years, following four-and-a-half years with the Morro Bay Police Department. He has spent his entire career beside Pipan as his handler.

Xello’s areas of expertise include narcotics, apprehension techniques, and hard surface tracking.

“Meaning you could give me your wallet or your purse, you could go around town and he can go and find you at some point,” Pipan explained. “He finds juveniles, children that have been lost. Or elderly people that have dementia or something and they’ve strayed away from home.”

Pipan says the 10 year-old canine will become a house dog, enjoying all the comforts of home without the stress of going to work. This will include nightly walks, playing with household family pets and taking random car rides.

The department is welcoming his replacement, K-9 Zeus, a 2-year-old German shepherd who has been trained in explosives ordinance detection (EOD). This training equips K-9s to sniff out numerous explosive-based chemicals and compounds, as well as guns and ammunition.

Zeus’ first day on the job will be July 30 .

Xello will be honored on July 25 during a private retirement ceremony with the department, friends and his handler, officer Stephanie Pipan.