Bogota Dog Names

"We're happy because he's retiring with a pension after a job well done, and we're sad because another colleague is leaving us." 

These were the words of Police General Julio González of the Bogotá Police Department, when asked to describe what it felt like to both honor and wave goodbye to Kalet, the top dog of the Colombian bomb squad. You see, Kalet's nose was good, really good, and he got to sniff with some of the elite. His task was to protect the presidential palace and congress from bomb-toting visitors. He'd sniff every bag, every person, every item that came within range of the palace and congress... And he did it like no other.

This chocolate Labrador Retriever and police bomb-sniffing dog inspected his last bag back in January 2017, before being honored in a retirement ceremony that would technically be the envy of any policeman. Even human ones. It involved a walk down a path surrounded by his dog and human colleagues, a presentation up on a stage, kind words, treats, applause and press coverage. 

Originally, Kalet was adopted in 2008 from a family who called him Odin. His name changed in honor of a Colombian singer by the name of Kaleth Morales, and then he got put into a year-long training program. Eventually, he became one of the 3,200 trained dogs on the Colombian police force.

But now, Kalet spends his days on a geriatric farm, which if you don't know what that is, it's a more innovative take on a nursing home. Instead of sending your elderly parent or grandparent to a nursing home, where they're cooped up in a building, each with their own room, think of it as an entire farm. The residents can work on the farm, if they're still capable, they can garden, play with the animals, even make cheese. Sending a former police bomb-sniffing dog to a geriatric farm would provide even more entertainment, and protection for that matter, to the place as a whole.

So what happens when you're a star canine in the Bogotá police department?  You get praise, recognition, and a calm retirement on a lavish farm where you receive monetary pension to pay for your tasty treats, dog food, toys, and medical care. That's not a bad retirement, better than some of the human ones that we've all heard of.

Here's to Kalet, and let's not forget Kalet's nose, who really did all of the heavy lifting!