The Forest Preserve District of Will County is "waving a paw goodbye" to its K-9, Jullo, according to a news release from the district.

Jullo served with distinction on the police force for almost eight years and is headed into retirement.

Highlights of Jullo's career include helping catch a burglar in Beecher, assisting several neighboring police departments looking for illegal drugs and tracking a bank forgery suspect in Mokena, the release also said.

Jullo also appeared in a "Don't Be A Jerk" series video designed to encourage good behavior from dog owners when using Will County forest preserves.

The German shepherd will spend his retirement with his handler, former K-9 officer and Forest Preserve police Sgt. Dean Klier.

Klier recently took a new position with the Plainfield Police Department, the news release said.

In a 2013 Herald-New story announcing Jullo's K-9 role, Klier said he'd researched police dog training facilities as close to home as Indiana and as far away as Pennsylvania and Texas, hoping to find the right dog to replace Rose, the forest preserve's former K-9 officer.

During that time, Klier observed many handlers and their dogs, while noting the various ways these dogs approached their new roles, the story also said.

Klier had originally hoped for a German Shepherd, which had a reputation for being a good police dog - in addition to it being his favorite breed, he had said in the story.

He met Jullo on his fourth day in Texas and the dog immediately worked well with him.

Still it took several more days before the dog felt comfortable enough around Klier to actually want to play with him, the story also said.

Speaking of playtime, Jullo really enjoyed tennis balls. At one point, Klier kept as many as 300 in his truck, Klier had said.

However, whenever Klier reached for Jullo's collar and leash, Jullo dropped the playful demeanor.

"He knows it's time to go to work," Klier said in the story.

For more details on Jullo's career, visit bit.ly/julloretires.

For information on the Forest Preserve District of Will County, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.