Related Articles
Died – 10/25/15
Handler – Officer Holly Hill
Retired Culpeper Police dog Seltic dies at age 14
A crime-fighting, drug-sniffing Culpeper Police Department K-9 recently passed on to the dog park in the sky. French-born “Seltic,” a beautiful, sand-colored Belgian Malinois, died in retirement Oct. 25 on his longtime handler’s Orange County farm at the age of 14. Culpeper Police Officer Holly Hill worked side-by-side with Seltic from 2003 until his retirement in 2011.She said, “I’ve enjoyed all of my police career, but the most rewarding was to work with such an intelligent dog as K-9 Seltic. He never ceased to amaze me with his talents. It was an honor to work with him; he always performed his tasks at the highest level, and was ever vigilant.” The police dog’s distinguished career included using his keen sense of smell to seize a sizable amount of cocaine and $7,000 cash in a 2004 traffic stop, and in 2006 helping to uncover 150 bags of heroin destined for distribution in Charlottesville, according to a police department news release. In his eight-year-career, Seltic was responsible for apprehending 16 suspects, including one in 2007 that he tracked for 1.5 miles through the woods at night. The police dog never bit any of the suspects even though he reached them before Hill, and he was always able to keep them under control until officers arrived. Certified in narcotic detection, suspect apprehension, article searches and missing person searches, Seltic, with Hill, was also well adept at mingling with the community. They attended countless educational presentations with schoolchildren as well as adult charity events and civic presentations. “I have never seen the ability of a police K-9 like Seltic to be able to chase after a fleeing felon one minute, and then hours later allowing kids to pet him and pull his ears,” said Culpeper Police Chief Chris Jenkins. “He was definitely a special part of our police department and our community.” All business when at work, the police dog occasionally had an appetite for police car seats, going after them as if they were a chew toy. At Seltic’s retirement party, Chief Jenkins gave the special dog one of his very own. The police dog loved his police handler with whom he lived, ate and underwent countless hours of training. Seltic lived out his final years at Hill’s residence, roaming her farm with all the other animals. He died in his sleep of natural causes. “As a patrol shift supervisor during much of Seltic’s career, I felt safer knowing he was working alongside of me and knew that he would have my back, along with the backs of each officer working that night,” said Culpeper PD Major Chris Settle. Jenkins said the dog would be missed.“He served us proudly and honorably and will always be a part of our proud history of the Culpeper Police Department,” he said.
