Bomb-sniffing dog moves to local retirement home


It looks like a typical retirement party: friends and colleagues gather to toast their departing peer, while enjoying snacks and hearing speeches. But Stryker, the retiree and guest of honor, isn’t a Baby Boomer; he is turning nine years old this spring and he’s a Labrador dog.

As reported by The Seattle Times, Stryker retired last week after seven years working for airplane manufacturer Boeing, where he sniffed out suspected bombs, luggage, and abandoned bags.

At his retirement party, Stryker’s speech, which was written by two of his trainers, read as follows: “To my K-9 buddies and trainers: Treasure this -- it goes by too fast. And to the rest of you, treasure us. We keep you safe and we do even if it means putting ourselves in danger.”

Bu for Stryker, retirement may be just the beginning. First, the typical life expectancy for Labradors is around 12 years, and for now, Stryker will be starting an encore career with his move to a local Seattle retirement home to be a companion to local seniors.

And although Stryker’s retirement is being overshadowed by the pope’s resignation, the plucky dog is likely to make plenty of new friends as he embarks on a new career.

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