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. Asdog 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 withanyone under stress or needing great care, especially veterans. Many veterans own service dogs asthey 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.

Photo Credits : Ctlyle

Cole and Kaya
We will also talk about a veteran and his service dog, whom he loves very much. A Marine Corpsveteran Cole Lyle also had a service dog named ‘Kaya.’ She was a German Shepherd who was alwaysby 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 hadPTSD 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.

Photo Credits : Ctlyle

Cole’s life savior

That moment was when he was suggested to try a service dog by one of his fellow veterans. Thatwas how he brought Kaya and spent $ 10,000 to train her to be a service dog. But it did not go towaste. 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.

Photo Credits : Ctlyle

On the other hand, when he had suicidal thoughts, he thought about Kaya and stopped himself as hehad someone waiting for him. Kaya did not just change Cole’s condition; she also impacted veteransaround the country. After Cole became an advisor to the U.S. Senate on veterans policies, the pairlobbied 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 politiciansthroughout 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 itmetastasized in January. It was hard on her, and she suffered a lot in that condition. And Cole wasnot assured of this at all. He told WFAA that he did not want to see his beloved dog suffer, whohelped 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 Texasfrom Virginia, saying Kaya had to be in her motherland at her last moments. They traveledSouthwest Airlines this time, and Cole and Kaya were quite familiar with them. The two used thisAirline 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 inspiringto 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 hislove 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.