Golden years

Retired sheriff's office canine Yonka isn't jumping in and out of squad cars to bust bad guys anymore, but she still keeps busy.

If the German shepherd isn't patiently putting up with deputy Victor Tercero's grandkids pulling her fur in good-hearted fun, she's chasing a tennis ball, munching on Cheetos - her favorite food - or just taking it easy.

Ector County commissioners were set to officially retire Yonka on Monday, but she couldn't make it. The groomer was doing her nails.

"It gets lonely in the truck now when I'm at work," Tercero said Friday. "I miss her a lot."

Yonka has left the force after six years of service. She's found bricks of pot and countless grams of cocaine and heroin that her human colleagues probably would have missed. She's protected her handler, Tercero, on at least three occasions and has given him years of companionship that isn't set to end.

Yonka will live with the Tercero family from now on.

"Words can't describe the great feeling of working with canines," Tercero said. "It's something different every day."

Sgt. Gary Duesler said Yonka is 8 years old, which doesn't seem like a lot to humans, but she's worn out from all those searches and training.

Duesler said German shepherds have problems with hip dysplasia, especially canines that are constantly jumping in and out of vehicles.

And Yonka's happy demeanor hides what can be a fierce attack machine. Tercero said she can run up to 36 mph and has up 800 pounds of pressure locked away in her jaws.

He said forget about urban myths like hiding marijuana in coffee grounds to disguise the smell from dogs like Yonka - her nose is up to 1,000 times more sensitive than a human's. Sheriff's deputies tested her once by placing a small amount of marijuana under a seat on the top row of Ector County Coliseum.

Yonka found it in one minute starting from the bottom of the pit.

"That's extreme," Duesler said.

But the biggest whiff she gets these days is from Tercero's wife's kitchen. 

"She's done real good," Tercero said.

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Here are some more details on Yonka:

>> Multilingual: Yonka is trained to take commands in Dutch and German to keep suspects from communicating with her. Deputy Victor Tercero said she also understands English and Spanish.

>> Follows her nose: Sgt. Gary Duesler said Yonka's nose is pretty sensitive, but criminals can get creative. She's trained to not eat any food she finds on the job because lawbreakers have tried to put antifreeze and other harmful chemicals in it to trick or even kill her.

>> One of the guys: Any rules involving criminals and human officers apply to Yonka. If a criminal injures or kills a canine officer, it's like they've hurt a human one, and they'll be prosecuted just the same.

>> On the way: The Sheriff's Office is hoping to replace Yonka with another dog. They have one on the force now, Charlie, who's trained to sniff out narcotics and protect his handler.