GILLETTE — Trevor Johnson wasn’t sure how well Biko was going to handle early retirement. After all, it’s tough to wind down when you’re an 8-year-old, hard-working K-9 that approaches every day like it’s an endurance race.

So far, Biko appears to be handling it nicely.

Splayed on the sidewalk in front of the Gillette Police Department wholly focused on gnawing through a cut-off chunk of blasting pipe, Biko quietly chewed while eyeing Johnson.

The pair have worked together for the past three-and-a-half years until Johnson’s recent promotion to corporal. Though happy to advance his career, it also meant giving up his role as K-9 handler, which was a bittersweet tradeoff.

Johnson said he misses his canine companion, and Biko’s whining still tugs on his heartstrings as he heads out the door to work. There’s also a notable absence in Johnson’s patrol car where Biko’s crate once sat.

Nonetheless, Johnson has been surprised at how easily the high-energy Belgian Malinois has transitioned into his new role as a family dog, alongside Johnson’s other retired K-9, a German Shepherd named Lord, whose lower back trouble took him out of the game prior to Biko joining.

In Gillette, when a K-9 retires, he spends his remaining years with his handler. That’s only fair, given the strong bond that handlers form with their K-9s over the course of their careers.

And Biko had a great one, born to catch criminals.

Michael Jordan Of K-9s

During his less than four years with the Gillette Police Department, Biko participated in 200 arrests and 1,500 calls for service.

Johnson beamed like a proud father as he recounted Biko’s high points, marveling at the dog’s deft skills sniffing out drugs and apprehending bad guys.

It’s safe to say Biko is built for the job with the right temperament for working hard. This is why Johnson specifically requested a dog of this breed after Lord retired because they’re well known for their skills and high drive.

“They’re super hard-working and are like the Michael Jordan of dogs,” Johnson said. “And Biko was an absolute monster when it comes to apprehension with a really good nose for drugs.”

Johnson has no idea the sheer volume of drugs Biko helped get off the streets of Gillette and Campbell County, but said it was a lot. One of his favorite all-time busts was when Biko sniffed out a baseball-sized magnetic pouch full of meth stuck to the undercarriage of a car.

Biko had indicated under the car, so Johnson searched the interior thinking the smell was seeping out from inside the car but couldn’t find anything. Biko continued to sniff under the car, prompting Johnson to crawl underneath with a flashlight until he found it.

“No way any human would have been on that without his nose,” he said.

Another career highlight was when Biko likely saved an intruder from being shot by police in what Johnson believes was an intentional suicide attempt. The perpetrator had been trying to break into the backdoor of a house with a knife while goading the responding police officers to shoot him.

Johnson and Biko went around to the backyard where Johnson gave a “one dog warning,” at which point the man dropped the knife and surrendered.

“I think that Biko may have saved that guy’s life that day,” he said.

On other occasions, Biko saved Johnson from getting into physical altercations with people significantly larger than him, Johnson said, just by his mere presence.

Well-muscled yet lithe with an intimidating growl and bark, Biko made a formidable partner.

On-The-Job Training

The most challenging part in training Biko was establishing trust with his handler. Biko had initially been with another police agency out of state but was sent back to the kennel when it didn’t work out.

Where developing a bond with Lord had been fairly easy, Biko was a tougher sell. The first time Johnson saw Biko, in fact, the dog lunged at him through the fence. That didn’t dissuade Johnson, though he questioned what on earth he was getting himself into.

After bringing him back to Gillette from the kennel in Alabama, Biko temporarily lived at the animal shelter where Johnson would sit outside his kennel on the ground feeding him treats as his legs fell asleep. It took time, but once that bond was established, there was no breaking it.

“I’ve got the most loyal animal on the planet,” he said.

Training came much easier given the canine’s drive and energy. All four K-9 handlers on the police department train their dogs together, including throwing on bite suits and going toe-to-toe with the dogs.

Once they learn the basics, the dogs are constantly undergoing training on top of their shift work.

“It’s so much fun,” Johnson said. “I still can’t believe we get paid to do this.”

Accidental Career

It was his desire to work with dogs that attracted Johnson to Gillette, which already had a thriving K-9 program.

Johnson, who is originally from Michigan, moved to Wyoming 11 years ago after taking a job with the department.

He wasn’t a guy who grew up dreaming of being a cop. In fact, he accidentally fell into law enforcement while a student in Michigan working for Dow Chemical. His grandfather also worked there, and Johnson said it’s the kind of place where you work until retirement.

Part of his coursework required Johnson to take either criminal justice or fire safety courses. He went with crime and found himself hooked.

“They were a blast,” he said. “It was the first time I had really thoroughly enjoyed going to school.”

He then enrolled in the police academy, graduated and applied for a bunch of jobs. The economy in Michigan was tight, so he took a job as a certified nursing assistant while he sent out applications.

Finally, he got a call from Gillette and made arrangements to fly out for an interview. Not long after that, however, his hometown department called him in for an interview on the same day.

He was torn and asked the Michigan agency if he could interview on another day but was told absolutely not. So, he called Gillette to ask to reschedule and they were wholly accommodating and willing to work with him.

That’s all Johnson needed to hear. He cancelled his interview in Michigan and took the job with Gillette, even though it meant moving so far from home.

Then he fell in love with Wyoming and began working with dogs his second year on the force.

Final Call

Like Biko, Johnson is getting used to his new career in an administrative role as Biko adjusts to life as a family dog and not a hard-working K-9.

“It’s going to be a lengthy process,” Johnson said as he now trains Biko to harness his energy as a home dog. The hyperactivity and intensity will never go away, Johnson said, but Biko has adjusted well to living in the house with Johnson’s wife and three children.

“He was very difficult to earn that trust initially, but now my kids are literally sitting on the ground reading him books at night,” Johnson said.

And better yet, Johnson has no fears of leaving his family alone when he’s working night shifts because he has two built-in guard dogs, that also come in handy for other fetching purposes, like when he loses his cellphone.

Like other officers, Biko got his last call in a ceremony the day he retired, and also got a retirement badge for his years of service.

Deputy Chief Brent Wasson thanked both Biko and Johnson for their service.

“The Gillette Police Department extends its heartfelt gratitude to Cpl. Trevor Johnson for his unwavering dedication to Biko, and to Biko for his years of steadfast service to our community,” he said. “We wish Biko a long and happy retirement.”

And though Biko is officially retired, his skills remain as sharp as ever.

On Johnson’s cue, Biko leaped up and ceded the blasting pipe that Johnson then picked up and held between his hands. Biko eyed the pipe intensely until Johnson gave another command and he lurched forward and dug his teeth into it.

Once released, Biko returned to casually gnawing as Johnson looked down at Biko’s leash in his hand. The leash is the first piece of equipment to go on and the last to come off at night, he said.

“It’s a sentimental thing to me,” he said. “It’s like it becomes a part of your body.”

Now that leash will go to Tyler Dillman, who has been selected as the handler for the department’s newest K-9, King.

Jen Kocher can be reached at: Jen@CowboyStateDaily.com