Saturday was Badjo's farewell to police work, said his partner, Deputy Randy Johnson. He and Badjo, an 8-year-old German Shepherd, have been working together for nearly seven years. But now Badjo has cancer, and must retire.

"It's terminal, extremely aggressive," he said. "It came on all of a sudden."

So on Saturday, Johnson took Badjo to a police canine trial hosted by the Sheriff's Office at Madison Park. Badjo couldn't compete, but in a gesture of farewell Sheriff Steve Moore donned a bite suit and played "fleeing suspect" and "combative suspect" for the retiring dog.

"They let him have his last hurrah - to come out here and bite the sheriff," Johnson said.

Badjo has been a good partner, Johnson said, both in competitions and on the street. Two years running, the two were ranked among the top 10 teams in the Western States Police Canine Association's end-of-year competition. At work, Badjo is independent, smart and cautious.

"He'll open the door before he'll go through the door," said Johnson's colleague, Deputy Bob Semillo. And he's quiet, Semillo said. Before you know it, before you've heard or seen him, he's there.

Badjo's diagnosis came about a week after the death of Niko, a canine deputy who was killed in a friendly fire incident in Lathrop.

At the end of this month, Correctional Officer Jeff Moen will retire his partner, Moe, with whom he has been working for more than seven years. Moe is 12 years old, near the end of a canine's life, and has developed a respiratory problem.

"You go to work with someone for eight years, nine years every day, and you're spending more time with them than your family, and that bond is strong," Moen said. "It's very difficult. It's like the end of the road."

Moe, who last year won first place overall in the drug detection portion of a competition also held by the Sheriff's Office, is headed for a comfortable retirement at Moen's home.

"I wish I could trade places with him," Moen said. "I wish I could give him the keys to the car and let him go to work."

Johnson said that around the Sheriff's Office, Badjo is known to be unusually reliable. If he changes direction, hesitates at a door or stops, pay attention, Johnson said, because Badjo always has a reason.

Badjo will go home to live with Johnson as his cancer progresses. Johnson knows at some point he will have to decide to euthanize his partner to ease what could be a long, painful death. He said he'll watch Badjo for a sign that it's time.

"I'll see it and know it's time," Johnson said.