JOHNSTOWN — K-9 Ipor is poised to retire this summer after eight years as a patrol narcotics police dog in the city.

His handler, Patrolman Eric Johnson, said Thursday that Ipor has been a valuable weapon in the battle against crime. Just a couple of weeks ago he led officers to a stash of cocaine.

His first taste of action occurred in October 2000. After patrols stopped a BMW in the Wendy’s parking lot, Ipor was called in to sniff out any contraband.

He found more than a dozen bags of drugs and three unregistered handguns with the serial numbers filed off in a secret compartment on the passenger side of the car.

The three men in the car were arrested on felony drug and weapons charges.

“He’s had a couple of street bites. Some successful trackings. He’s had a ton of drug finds for us, for Gloversville, for the county,” Johnson said.

Over the years Ipor has persevered through illness and injuries. Johnson said he almost died after contracting a virus.

He’s suffered soft-tissue damage on occasion. Johnson said he’s slowing down a little and it takes him longer to heal, but the 70-pounder is still in good shape.

Johnson said he’s concerned about the dog’s quality of life. Basically, he doesn’t want him to work until he can’t.

Ipor will live with the officer’s family but Johnson said he’s not sure how he will react to not working with Ipor, and vice versa.

“He’s been riding around in the car with me for eight years. … I’m sure there will be an adjustment period,” Johnson said.

“Now he’s going to be our dog and we can enjoy it,” he added.

Ipor (pronounced eye-po) will be replaced by another Belgian malinois and Patrolman Adam Schwabrow will replace Johnson as the department’s K-9 handler.

Schwabrow said he hasn’t seen a photo of his dog; he doesn’t even know his name yet. But that hasn’t affected his enthusiasm regarding the new assignment.

“I’m getting excited. After watching [Deputy] Wayne Peters and Eric with their dogs, what they’re capable of, it’s exciting,” he said.

Schwabrow’s dog will travel from Belgium to Ohio to begin training in a week or so.

“April 1st I get to meet him. I don’t know what he looks like or how he’s going to be, or even if it’s going to be a he or a she. It’s exciting,” he said.

Police Chief Greg Horning said the new dog will the department’s fifth canine.

Now-retired patrolmen Neil Luck and Denny Purcell handled Hogan and Magnum, respectively, in past years.

More recently, Lt. Mark Gifford handled Guido, also a Belgian malinois, who served the department from June 1994 until the summer of 2000, when he retired and Ipor joined the force.

Ipor did a good job, Horning said.

“The dog is great. … Basically, it serves as a back-up for the K-9 handler,” he said.

Horning said in addition to protecting their handlers, Ipor and Guido were both adept at not only locating drugs, but at tracking as well.

Another benefit was in public relations.

Horning laughed as he recalled demonstrations that he and Gifford put on for senior citizens and school groups years ago with Guido.

After all, who wouldn’t want to see the chief of police get attacked by a dog?

“Everyone in town, and then some,” he quipped.

“They were just amazed how that dog could go after me the way he did, then I’d go out of the room, take off the sleeve and come back and he’d jump up on me and lick my face,” Horning said. “They were amazed that the dog could be turned on and off like that.”

Schwabrow’s dog, like Ipor and Guido before, will come from Dan Bowman’s Gold Shield Kennels.

“Guido was our first one. We had great luck with him. We went back to him for Ipor — great dog,” Horning said.

The cost of the dog and training for Schwabrow is budgeted at $12,000.

Local businessman Steve Willet and his wife Elena, who own Partner’s Pub, will donate a new patrol vehicle for Schwabrow and his four-legged partner.

The bequest is being made in memory of Willett’s mother, Lorraine Willett.

Horning said he appreciated the Willetts’ generosity, and that of others as well.

“This donation will go a long way toward helping us better serve the citizens of Johnstown,” he said, adding that without the donation the city wouldn’t have been able to acquire the vehicle this year.

Johnson said that the program benefits from the generosity of numerous individuals.

Many people helped with Ipor’s fundraising, spearheaded by Loretta Weldner, he said. The late Mary Greco sent the department a check every week until she died. John Hladik was also a big booster.

Johnson said he’s sure to leave out some names and apologized in advance. “I just want to thank everybody who supported the program over the past eight years,” he said.