It was TTirado’s final day at work at the Indianapolis Airport, and his handler, Keith Gray, knew just the perfect way to give him a proper send-off towards his retirement — by surprising him with his favorite toy: tennis balls, which are given to dogs as a reward for doing a job well done at the airport.
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“It’s a coveted item during their career,” Keith Gray, TTirado’s handler, told The Dodo. “They know that they have to work for it to get it and that’s what keeps them going and keeps their motivation up.”
[…]
To surprise the pup on his special day, Gray ordered 200 tennis balls online and set up a special final search for him.
“We had a couple of handlers that were behind the scenes ready to drop the balls when he showed up,” Gray said. “The handlers knew what to do when the dog alerts, which is basically him coming around the corner, sniffing that bag like he’s supposed to and dropping his butt to sit down.”
And when TTirado sat down after sniffing the bag, lo and behold, the tennis balls dropped from the sky, and he was very happy.
TTirado served faithfully at the airport for eight years.
(Image Credit: Mark Howell/ Twitter)
After more than 8 years of service @INDairport, @TSA explosive detection canine TTirado has officially retired. He was adopted by his handler Keith Gray and will spend retirement at home with his family. Check out this clip of his final bag search and reward! ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/efRwPFrmDi
— Mark Howell (@TSAMedia_MarkH) June 17, 2020
Source: neatorama