Farewell party for TSA K-9 at Pittsburgh International Airport

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) – There was a farewell party Thursday for a police dog whose job it was to ensure the safety of passengers at the airport.

The Transportation Safety Administration’s explosives detection dog Baro was deployed at Pittsburgh International Airport.

“He’s been through a lot with me over the last seven or eight years, through good times and bad,” said agent Lawrence Sharp.

For Sharp, Baro’s handler, he is more than just a dog.

“When I’m sad, he’s there,” he said. “When I’m happy, he’s there. We have a connection that really can’t be quantified.”

The two have been a team since 2017. Baro even has his own baseball card with some statistics.

“His career stats,” Sharp said. “Of course, I can’t share everything with you. We’ve worked on a lot of big events.”

“He probably saved thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of lives in his career,” he added. “That’s why I love him.”

And what will happen to Baro? He will live with Sharp.

“He knows it’s his home,” Sharp said. “He knows it’s time to relax.”

Sharp said he wanted to give his best friend a vacation at the seaside.

“The sea,” said Sharp. “I think he wants to swim, and he’ll swim a lot.”