N. Fulton K-9 retires after 8 years of service

After eight years of service, a Johns Creek police officer is retiring.

A four-legged officer, that is.

Nico, a K-9 who was handled by Johns Creek officer George Hodge, won’t be using his nose to sniff out drugs and the bad guys anymore. Nico retired on Thursday during a celebration at the police department.

He’ll be going to live the rest of his life with Officer Hodge and his family in their home. There, he’ll be sniffing out treats instead of narcotics.

Nico’s first successful track came in 2009 when he was assisting the Alpharetta Police Department in locating a felony shoplifting suspect who had also assaulted a security guard. Years later, Nico also tracked down an Alzheimer’s patient who was lost and had wandered off.

Officer Hodge and Nico also recovered large amounts of narcotics over their years together. During one stop, they recovered 16 pounds of marijuana. In another case, Nico sniffed out 37 marijuana plants.

In their time together, Hodge and Nico recovered more than $300,000 that was tied to illegal activities.

The Johns Creek Police Department gave Nico a small cake at his retirement ceremony that he woofed down in a few bites.

“It’s a little bittersweet, but I’m proud of everything we’ve been able to accomplish together,” Hodge said. “What I’m most proud of is I took care of him and he took care of me over these last eight years. We both made it home every day.”