NEW YORK (AP)  -- Police dog Kojak's crime-fighting nose may be at its prime, but the New York City canine is heading into retirement.

Kojak is a bloodhound, bred for tracking and trained for police work. He's spent about 10 years fighting crime for the city's K-9 Unit.

And while the breed's sniffing ability improves with age, the bloodhound is about 70 in human years. He's also undergone back surgery and has weakened hind legs.

K-9 Unit Police Officer Jonathan Figueroa says that Kojak was known for his uncanny ability to lead investigators seemingly astray before finding the ``perps.''

Kojak's last tour was April 26. His replacement is a 10-month-old female named Bella. She's already on the job.

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