TSA K-9 at Pittsburgh International Airport gets retirement party

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — There was a retirement party on Thursday for a K-9 whose job was to keep passengers safe at the airport.

Transportation Safety Administration explosives detection K-9 Baro worked at Pittsburgh International Airport.

"He's been with me through a lot in these last seven or eight years, thick and thin," agent Lawrence Sharp said.

To Sharp, Baro's handler, he's more than just a dog.

"When I'm sad, he's there," he said. "When I'm happy, he's there. We have a bond that you really can't quantify."

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

"His career stats," Sharp said. "I can't share everything with you, obviously. We've worked on a lot of major events."

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

So, what's next for Baro? He's going to live with Sharp.

"He knows it's home," Sharp said. "He knows it's time to relax."

Sharp did say he wants to treat his best friend to a seaside vacation.

"The ocean," Sharp said. "I think he wants to swim and he will be swimming a lot."