Video of service dog's final flight leaves people emotional

A clip of a service German Sheperd’s final flight has had people in tears after she dies of uncurable cancer.

Kaya was a service dog who was trained to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder cope with mental health issues and flew all over the country with her handler Cole Lyle, who is himself a Marine Corps veteran.

On her last flight before her retirement, she was honoured by Southwest Airlines, who she had flown with 250 times.

In a clip shared by the airline on Instagram, the captain of the plane could be heard explaining over the tannoy Kaya’s story. They explained that she had been diagnosed with untreatable cancer and she was being flown home to live out her final days.

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They said: “Sadly, Kaya was recently diagnosed with an untreatable cancer so we have the solemn honor of taking her on what will be her last flight as she goes home to rest where she was born and first met Cole.”

Kaya played a major part in getting the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act passed into law in 2021. The act allows veterans to reunite with service dogs they may have served with.

After the pilot's announcement, fellow passengers could be heard applauding Kaya and Cole and the clip left many in tears.

One person commented: “I’m crying. It is amazing what service animals can do.”

Another asked: “Who’s cutting onions?”

Someone else said: “Sobbing… the vets make me emotional enough, and then you throw in that sweet girl…”

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