After five and a half years of faithful service, K9 Zero has retired from active duty at the Wheeling Police Department. Zero, whose last day in service was Nov. 29, joined the department in April 2018. 

A Belgian Malinois, Zero was born on Dec. 12, 2014, and was trained in narcotic detection, tracking, and apprehension. He was purchased and trained thanks to a generous donation by the Fitzsimmons Foundation of Wheeling.

“Zero was a good protector of the city, a fun-loving dog and a hard worker,” said handler Sgt. Jason Hupp. “He is a reliable partner, but he is now 9-years-old and ready to retire.” 

On Tuesday, the department honored Zero with a brief ceremony, a plaque, and a small gift. 

Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said Zero was a great employee and served the community well. “I’ll never forget the first time I met Zero. I don’t believe I had witnessed discipline in a working dog as much as I did that day. Zero has been more than a working dog, he has been a proud member of the WPD and deserves every bit of the accolades he is receiving here today.”

A replacement for Zero has not yet been decided. WPD currently has three other K9’s on staff – Jericho, Ozzy and Virgil.