In today’s political realm, there are few individuals who truly break out from the left-right mold. Regardless of your political stance, one honorary member of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, stands out on all fours. His name is Kai, and he is a Labrador Retriever who has served his country for most of his 7 years (49 in dog years). Thankfully, Kai is in great health, but as the Knesset’s oldest guard dog, he was forced into retirement so he may enjoy the golden (retriever) years.
Since he began serving as a puppy, he and his Knesset Kennel pals routinely carry out duties including sniffing for explosives.
“I’m definitely going to miss him,” said the kennel commander, Warrant Officer Yair Bashari. “He is the happiest dog here. We’ll have to get used to Kai not being here anymore.”
Bashari added, “In case of a bomb-sniffing dog, there’s no room for mishaps. You have a mishap – you have an explosion. I study the dog and he studies me, and we complement each other.”
Unlike the rest of the Middle East, animals in Israel are treated with tremendous respect, and there are harsh laws against animal cruelty. Kai is leaving the Knesset in the paws of his two children, Momo and Lily, both 16 months old.
A goodbye party has been planed in Kai’s honor, in which he will receive a special merit certificate for his service. The fun won’t end there, as Kai will enjoy a long and happy life with his new adopted family from Rehovot.
