TULSA, Okla. -- After a long career, we all deserve a well-spent retirement.
Tulsa Police K9 “Bic” is no exception.
He retired Tuesday after nine years of bomb-sniffing at the Tulsa International Airport.
“He deserves it. He's been a really good dog,” said his handler, Officer Richard Davis.
Cake, a proclamation from the Mayor...even a giant bone.
These are marks of a good retirement for a very important dog that first met Davis, a 35-year police veteran, in explosives detection training in San Antonio nearly ten years ago.
“He's a high drive dog. He was just bouncing off the wall. He was about 18 months old..year and a half,” said Davis.
His first years at Tulsa International were challenging.
“When we first got here, he was easily distracted by everybody so we had to overcome that. Kids would cry, and he would want to go protect them,” Davis said.
That rambunctious puppy turned into one of Tulsa airport's leading explosive sniffing dogs...and became a part of a long legacy of security for Tulsa International Airport.
“It's very intensive as you can imagine, sniffing around suitcases all day long,” said Tulsa Airport Authority CEO Mark VanLoh.
Bic has done everything from deescalating tense bomb threats to working security for dignitaries like Joe Biden and George W. Bush.
When he takes retirement, so will Officer Davis...making Tuesday's party so much sweeter.
“It's kind of a touching story that the two will be together now, retired, sitting on the porch drinking sweet tea together or doing whatever they want to do,” said VanLoh.
But if you ask Officer Davis, Tuesday was a celebration of a dog who spent his life keeping millions of travelers safe...a dog who's earned a new life of just being man's best friend.
“He likes to go on a morning walk and an evening walk so we'll continue those,” said Davis. “I'm very glad for him. Not for me, but for him.”
Tulsa International Airport has an explosive detection team that consists of six K9s and their handlers.
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