Explosives detection dog retires after 8 years of service at Indiana airport

INDIANAPOLIS — An explosives detection dog sniffed his final bag, retiring after working 8 years at the Indianapolis International Airport. 

TTirado, a 10.5-year-old black Labrador retriever was one of the last remaining puppies from a Transportation Security Administration-led puppy program of service dogs trained at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, the agency said. 

TTirado was named in honor of Hector Luis Tirado Jr., a New York firefighter who died working during 9/11. 

Over the course of his career, TTirado worked security for the Indianapolis 500, the NCAA Final Four tournament, the Kentucky Derby, the 2017 Super Bowl and the 2017 presidential inauguration.  

His last day was May 29. He is being adopted by his handler, Keith Gray. TTirado and Gray have been partners since March 2012. 

“I am thankful for such a fantastic partner in TTirado as my first dog,” Gray said. “He has taught me a lot over the years, and I have been amazed in his growth and how far we have come.”

Gray has already started working with a new dog, Ari, WXIN reported. 

Gray plans to keep TTirado busy in retirement. 

“I have three travel objectives for TTirado – New York City for the Ground Zero Memorial and FDNY Station 23 where his namesake worked, Atlanta to meet one of Hector’s sons and his family who we have kept in touch with, and finally to San Antonio to see his foster family who helped raise him during his puppy years,” Gray said.

Cox Media Group