After more than seven years of service, agent Kirpy, a K-9 serving the Yuma Sector has retired.
Kirpy is a Belgian Malinois that was born on Thanksgiving Day in 2012 with the El Paso Canine Center's puppy program. At four months old, he was given to the Yuma Sector Border Patrol Canine Unit.
He was trained to detect human smuggling attempts, and drug smuggling operations. During his time with the Yuma Sector he was able to sniff out more than $85,000 worth of marijuana and more than $140,000 worth of methamphetamine.
Kirpy also worked alongside law enforcement agencies and at the San Luis and Andrade ports of entry.
He would also participate regularly in public demonstrations at schools, RV parks and at community events.
"We used Kirpy whenever we had demos. He could do it all," said Special Operations Supervisor Mark Sims.
However, Kirpy would spend most of his time alongside his handler, Border Patrol Agent Rolando Carbajal who spent his last shift with him Friday.
"He's loving retirement," Carbajal said. "He's able to come inside and hangout. "Everything is new (for him)."
According to agent Carbajal, Kirpy is living the life of a pet and doing everything with the humans in the house. He recently had his first outing as a retiree on a fishing trip to the river.
Kirpy was named after fallen Nogales Border Patrol Agent Alexander Kirpnick who was killed in the line of duty on June 3, 1998.
