There are hundreds of dogs serving in the military, most of which are from the Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd breeds. They are flown to the U.S.A. from various countries as puppies and trained in camps until they are fully grown and ready for deployment. By the time they retire, they are recognized as a part of the personnel and are awarded for their services to the country.
In February, a female German Shepherd named Kaya, who served as a military service dog, was diagnosed with an incurable cancer. She had completed her final mission and flew home with her handler. During the flight, the captain made a surprise announcement over the plane’s speakers. He mentioned Kaya’s achievements and contributions to the military and also said that the flight would be her last. When the captain finished speaking and thanked Kaya and her handler for their services, everyone onboard applauded, and Kaya’s reaction was priceless!
Comprehensive foreign media reports that Kaya joined the military in 2014 and served alongside her handler, now retired Marine Corpsman Cole T. Lyle. Over the years, the 2 built a strong bond and were inseparable wherever they went. Their relationship was quite deep. After retiring, Kaya devoted herself to fighting for the rights of other veterans to own service dogs. Alongside her handler, Cole often gave speeches to let veterans learn more about the benefits of owning military service dogs.
On Christmas 2022, Kaya was diagnosed with an incurable cancer. Cole noticed a bump on Kaya’s right front elbow area. An internal medicine doctor performed a biopsy and said that the cancer had spread across Kaya’s body. Cole was saddened by the news, and he knew that her time was running short. He could only travel with her in less than a few months. During her final flight home, she lay on the foot of Cole while the captain of Southwest Airlines announced a special passenger on the plane.
@southwestair We were honored to fly our loyal friend and hero, Kaya, home to rest after a lifetime of hard work. Throughout her career, Kaya flew with us over 250 times to help establish the PAWS Act which united Veterans with service dogs. We are so grateful to be a part of her legacy, and we thank her and her owner, Cole, for their many years of service. ❤️
“Especially at the end, it just became apparent that she was in a lot of pain — she couldn’t walk,” Lyle said. “So, I ultimately had to make that horrible decision.” Unbeknownst to Cole and Kaya, an announcement was also made at the Dallas airport. When they arrived at the airport, hundreds of people surrounded them and applauded, welcoming Kaya back home to Texas.
On Saturday morning, the 4th of February, Kaya had her final breakfast of pancakes, eggs, ham, and bacon at the hotel. It was a beautiful and sunny day, about 60 degrees, and the weather was perfect. “I just let her lay down and be comfortable for her last few hours on earth before we took her and let her go.”
In days after her passing, many high-profile politicians paid tribute to Kaya. People who knew her also reached out. One woman told a story of her baby son, who kept on crying throughout the flight one day in 2016. He calmed down when Kaya sat next to him. Some veterans also told Cole that Kaya had inspired them to own service dogs and prevented them from committing suicide due to PTSD.
Cole said it is too soon to decide if he will own another service dog but may consider it if his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms recur. Thanks to Kaya, he doesn’t feel the need for now. “She made me better than who I was,” he said, “and saved my life.”
Images credits: © Southwest Airlines @southwestair/TikTok
