SAN FERNANDO : Police Dog’s Ready to Call It a Career

Officer Iwann will take his last bite out of crime Sunday.

The San Fernando Police Department’s sole police dog will retire after sniffing out crime for six years alongside his partner, Officer Tom Favazzo.

“Looking at it from his standpoint, the mind is still willing. He enjoys the work,” said Favazzo, an 11-year department veteran. “The only thing is being 10 years old, his stamina has decreased considerably. He can’t jump like he used to.”

For all of his crime-fighting career, Iwann worked the night shift, using his keen sense of smell to conduct nearly 600 searches and ferret out about 30 suspects.

His last day will be no different. Iwann and Favazzo will clock in as usual from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. When it’s over, Iwann heads for retirement as a household pet and Favazzo starts a new assignment as a patrol officer.

“These were the best six years I’ve spent on the department. I’m not happy about giving it up. It was real enjoyable for me,” Favazzo said.

On Monday, the San Fernando City Council will hold a short ceremony to recognize the outgoing K-9 team and vote on transferring ownership of the dog to Favazzo for a nominal $1 fee. Iwann was donated to the department by a local merchant.

Lt. Rico Castro said the 34-officer department, which regularly rotates assignments, will establish a new K-9 unit with Officer Jorge Field and a new police dog. The dog, expected to cost about $6,000, will join the force in coming weeks.