How helpful do you think a dog can be? We all know the dog is a man’s best friend. They truly are.
They are loyal, friendly, and stuck with you throughout your life. But have you ever heard about
‘Service Dogs’? They are a thousand times better at each one of those mentioned qualities. They
follow our commands and work with us as faithful companions.
Standard service dog breeds are German shepherds, Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers. As
dog ownership has grown huge over the past few years, now over 80 million U.S. owners own
service dogs as their best life companies.
These dogs can provide health benefits, decrease stress and improve happiness within a person.
Service dogs are dogs who possess the capability of performing specific tasks for individuals with
disabilities.
So, service dogs being invaluable is an understatement. They can be crucial in any situation with
anyone under stress or needing great care, especially veterans. Many veterans own service dogs as
they bring therapeutic companionship. These dogs help with conditions such as PTSD. As they begin
to work for their owner, they become that person’s best friend as well.
Cole and Kaya
We will also talk about a veteran and his service dog, whom he loves very much. A Marine Corps
veteran Cole Lyle also had a service dog named ‘Kaya.’ She was a German Shepherd who was always
by his side no matter what and even shared hundreds of airline flights with the veteran. This is their
story.
Cole was a guy from North Texas. When he returned from his six-year tour in Afghanistan, he had
PTSD and said he tried pills and therapy, but none worked out. As he told WFAA, the pills made it
even worse for him, and he almost committed suicide. Which did not happen, fortunately.
Cole’s life savior
That moment was when he was suggested to try a service dog by one of his fellow veterans. That
was how he brought Kaya and spent $ 10,000 to train her to be a service dog. But it did not go to
waste. He said how dogs are supposed to make a huge difference to him. Kaya helped him in many
ways. She woke him up when Cole had nightmares and helped to stop anxiety attacks.
On the other hand, when he had suicidal thoughts, he thought about Kaya and stopped himself as he
had someone waiting for him. Kaya did not just change Cole’s condition; she also impacted veterans
around the country. After Cole became an advisor to the U.S. Senate on veterans policies, the pair
lobbied for the PAWS Act, which provides canine training for veterans with PTSD. That act was
passed into law in August 2021, receiving bipartisan support.
A sad ending
Kaya was a famous dog with a very quality social life. She met a lot of celebrities and politicians
throughout her life. She also walked at graduation with Cole and went on hundreds of flights with
her owner around the country.
But that happy life also had its hard moments. Kaya got a tumor under her tongue, and it
metastasized in January. It was hard on her, and she suffered a lot in that condition. And Cole was
not assured of this at all. He told WFAA that he did not want to see his beloved dog suffer, who
helped him so much to stop his suffering. He worried about Kaya as the dog did nothing but good to
everyone around her.
A great act of honor
Cole realized that Kaya had not much time left. At the time, they were in Virginia. So he flew to Texas
from Virginia, saying Kaya had to be in her motherland at her last moments. They traveled
Southwest Airlines this time, and Cole and Kaya were quite familiar with them. The two used this
Airline to travel over 250 times. So, let me tell you one thing. The flight was not ordinary at all. It was
special.
When the Airline found Kaya’s situation, which was her last flight, they arranged something inspiring
to mark the occasion. It was February 2, and the pilot made a special announcement about the dog,
saying how much she had helped as a service dog. The pilot also mentioned how she worked to get
the PAWS Act accepted. At last, he said they were honored to be her last flight.
The Airline also shared a video of the moment, showing how much the passengers appreciated Kaya.
In the video, you can see how Kaya lifts her head at the sound of applause. Not only that but also the
Airlines provided mobility services to Kaya by giving them a cart when they arrived at Dallas.
The departure of a heroin
It was only a short time until Cole announced Kaya’s demise. He made a post on Twitter showing his
love and gratitude towards the best-friend of his. And also mentioned how relieved he was as Kaya
was no longer suffering.
At last, Kaya had to leave. That is all-natural. But the awesome gift she gave Cole and the nation will
not be swept away and will always be remembered.
