After being a security canine for the seven months as NASA Langley a black Labrador retriever called Nero is retiring.  This 5 year-old dog has not only carried out his duties in that time but has made strong friendships with the security guards and personnel who are sad to see him leave so soon.

Greg Globus, Nero’s handler is also head over heels with the black Lab along with Natalie, his 17 month old daughter.  He said:

“My daughter fell in love with him.”

Nero was found in distress and rescued by an organization called Canine Interdiction.  This company specializes in training detector dog teams.  Nero has spent seven happy months checking out cars for bombs before they enter NASA Langley sniffing around 150 cars per day.

However, due to the discovery that he has epilepsy it was Nero’s final day at NASA Langley last week.  Epilepsy in dogs may be inherited, or could have been caused by a blow to the head, or oxygen starvation during birth. It may be controlled by the use of drugs, but cannot be cured and seizures could occur at anytime.

Globus went on to say:

“For the short time he has been here … (Nero) has made friends really fast.  A lot of people care about him and are sad to see him go.”

Part of the Badge and Pass office team, Angela Dyke, agrees and added:

“We all love him.”

Nero will now go back to his handler at Canine Interdiction so Globus will still get to visit on occasion.  Epilepsy is one of the many conditions that a dog can develop so make sure you get your own pet dog well covered by a good pet insurance.

Bookmark us and help AFI make a difference!