HARVEY, La. (WGNO) — K-9 Kyra and Deputy Abraham Andino were partners at the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office for eight years, working shifts with the bomb squad at the Louis Armstrong International Airport.
Kyra, a 10-year-old belgian malinois, loved making new friends on the job and making people smile as much as her.
“If she’s not working, she wants to play. If she’s not playing and she’s not working, she wants to be loved on,” Andino said.
In March 2023, Andino noticed a lump on Kyra’s leg.
“When you work for one of the best sheriff’s offices around, the sheriff calls you personally and says ‘tell me about Kyra. What’s going on?'” Andino said.
After a visit to the vet, Kyra’s leg was amputated to get rid of the tumor, and she was forced into retirement.
Andino decided the only option for him was to adopt Kyra and let her enjoy retirement in his home.
“It’s a pretty strong bond. If I’m sitting in a room, she wants to be near me, she comes to look for me, as I look for her as well,” Andino said. “But now, she gets a little jealous when I take the other dogs to work. She sits there and pouts, but she’ll get used to being in the [air conditioning] while everyone else is out in the heat.”
According to Andino, Kyra still wants to work, so they keep honing her skills in his off time.
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