Kyle, the retired police dog, was taken on a walk like he was everyday when something strange happened. The dog started barking at a tree, and his owners knew that something was wrong when he started to dig, too. And strangest of all, Kyle wouldn’t budge an inch from his spot, no matter how insistently his owners tugged on his leash. So his owners decided to investigate and what they found was anything but ordinary.
They called in assistance immediately, but they were worried that it was already too late for a team of professionals to do anything about the situation. Smith’s heart raced as he picked up the phone and called the only person he could think to contact: Kyle’s former owner.
This Police Dog Was Ready to Retire
Kyle was a retired police dog who had worked hard his entire life. After living with two foster families during his service with the police force, he was ready to settle into his retirement years of doggie bliss. When he was adopted by his new owners, the Smith family, his new life seemed perfect.
His New Parents Had Lots of Care in Their Hearts
Thomas Smith was happy to become a father to the dog. He and his wife didn’t have any children of their own, so they had plenty of time to make sure that Kyle’s days were full of lots of exercise, nutritious food and plenty of cuddles. But after they got the dog home, he started to exhibit some odd behaviors.
Kyle Had Worked For Eight Years
Kyle was a well-mannered dog who knew how to follow orders. He had a plethora of skills under his belt and he loved to play, too. After eight years serving with a police troop, he was ready to wind down and spend more time sleeping in. But, it was obvious that this dog still missed his friends from the police force.
He Missed His Old Partner
During his time on the police force, Kyle was owned by his partner, John. John was a young police officer who had a strong bond to the German Shepherd. John had known Kyle from the first day he started working for the police force and he had been by his side every day for eight years. But he had to give up his dog so they could both have better lives.
John Gave Up Kyle For Adoption
John ultimately decided to give up Kyle and let another family adopt him because he was still working on the police force and couldn’t devote enough time to taking care of Kyle. It broke his heart to give up the dog who meant so much to him for so many years, but he knew that it was the right thing for both of them.
Kyle Knew How to Sniff Out Crime
Kyle had learned a lot of skills during his time working for the police force. He knew how to sniff for controlled substances and alert people to their whereabouts. This skill didn’t come up much during walks at the park with his new owners, but they were still impressed by his loyalty and sweet nature. That is, until his demeanor started to change.
His New Owners Were Loyal
The Smith family loved their new dog so much that they wanted to make sure he had everything he could possibly want. The older couple soon moved to a house outside of the city they were previously living in so their dog would have more room to roam. Their new house had a large backyard and plenty of natural space around it. But, this move wasn’t easy on all of them.
Kyle Had Feelings of Abandonment
Many dogs get confused when their family moves to a new location, and this happened to Kyle as well. He had just gotten used to his new family’s house before they picked up and moved again. Kyle had already been adopted twice before in his life, so this move quickly brought back old feelings of abandonment. And his owners saw a change in his demeanor almost immediately.
He Got Used to His New Home
Kyle soon got acclimated to the new space and ran around and played like he usually did, but soon he started to worry his owners. Instead of chasing squirrels around town, he became disinterested in his old hobbies. And it seemed like the longer he was in that house, the more depressed he became.
Kyle Learned How to Be Aggressive
While Kyle was working for the police force, he was exposed to many tough situations that changed his personality forever. Kyle was born a carefree, joyful pup, but he was trained to act aggressive in trying situations. His owners always knew how to reel him in if they needed him to be calm, but his new owners hadn’t yet had enough time with him to discover every facet of his personality.
His Police Training Changed Him
When the Smiths took Kyle on his daily walk, he was sweet with other dogs and never got in any unnecessary fights or tussles. It really seemed like Kyle wouldn’t even hurt a fly! But, his owners didn’t know what he was like in more dangerous situations, like the ones he used to be involved in during his days in the police force.
Kyle Wasn’t Acting Like Himself
And as the days went by, Kyle’s attitude started to change. He became lethargic and started to sleep through more and more hours of the day. His owners worried that something was wrong with his health after years of devoting himself to working a tough job, so they called up the vet and made an appointment.
They Took Him to See a Doctor
During Kyle’s trip to the veterinarian, the doctor performed some routine tests and bloodwork and found nothing out of the ordinary with the health of the German Shepherd. There was nothing to explain the strange shift in Kyle’s behavior other than his recent change of routine, so the vet gave him a clean bill of health. That still wasn’t enough to sooth his owner’s worries, though.
They Did Everything They Could
His owners also tried changing Kyle’s food and switching up his treats, but nothing seemed to bring Kyle back to the excited and carefree dog that he had once been. But they didn’t give up trying and continued to give their dog the best life that was possible for him. And one day, their efforts finally worked.
Their Day Seemed Normal at First
It started out as a day like any other. Thomas Smith woke up and gave Kyle a nice breakfast of fresh chicken and rice before walking the dog around their yard. Kyle was slow to get up, but he ate all of his food and seemed more energetic than usual. Before long they would go on their usual stroll through the woods, where they would encounter something truly strange.
Kyle Was Making a Miraculous Recovery
Kyle soon started to get a bit more energy, which was kind of strange for him at this time of day. And when Thomas took him on his walk, he was practically giddy. He leaped through the air with wild abandon like Thomas hadn’t seen in weeks! Maybe he was finally getting used to his new home after all.
Thomas Couldn’t Keep Up
Kyle picked up his pace and soon started to outrun his owner, who practically had to tug on Kyle’s leash and get him to slow down. It seemed like the dog was following some kind of invisible trail with his nose that was leading him down a path in the woods that they had never traveled before.
Kyle Nearly Got Them Lost
Kyle usually sniffed every odd log and patch of grass on his walks, but this day was different. He was using his nose to guide him somewhere, and Thomas wasn’t sure where they were headed. He was happy to see his dog so active, but he was worried about where Kyle might lead the two of them considering that it wasn’t impossible for them to get lost in the new area.
Kyle Wouldn’t Slow Down
Kyle’s sniffer soon lead the two of them into a heavily wooded area that didn’t have clear trails, but that didn’t stop him. He continued to leap and bound over rocks and logs to continue his path through the woods. And Thomas was now starting to get worried, because it didn’t seem like he could control this dog even if he really needed to.
Suddenly They Reached a Strange Scene
After a few minutes of running, Kyle halted. With his nose still affixed to the ground, he continued leading his owner through the woods until they reached a large, fallen tree. It looked as if the tree had been struck by lightning in the past, leading it to entirely snap off at the stump and topple over. And once they reached this tree, Kyle started barking uncontrollably.
Kyle Sniffed Out A Disturbing Spot
Kyle’s nose had lead him and his owner to a fallen tree and once they reached it, Kyle started to bark loudly. Thomas wasn’t worried about him disturbing any other hikers, but he was worried about his dog. This behavior was extremely out of the ordinary for him and he didn’t seem to want to stop barking anytime soon, even though he had his owner’s full attention.
His Owner Got Worried When He Wouldn’t Budge
Thomas did the only thing he could think of to do and he tried to tug at his dog’s leash to move him away from the tree and prove to his dog that there was no danger. But, Kyle wasn’t listening and given his background in law enforcement, Thomas was wondering if they had stumbled upon a crime scene.
They Investigated Further
Kyle wasn’t moving from the spot, so his owner decided to investigate further. He took a closer look at the tree stump and saw that there was definitely something in it. Had Kyle really lead him to investigate a crime? Was his dog aware of some evil doer’s plans? Whatever was happening, Thomas knew that he needed to call in someone else to help, but first he had to find out what exactly they were dealing with.
Something Caught His Eye in the Tree Stump
After Thomas started to look closer at the tree stump, Kyle calmed down. It seemed like that was really all that he wanted his owner to do. And as Thomas peered deeper into the stump, something caught his eye and he wondered if what he was seeing was really there in front of him. It almost looked like something was decaying inside the stump.
He Immediately Called the Police
But whatever was in the stump didn’t look entirely natural, so Thomas couldn’t rule anything out. He quickly called the police department, the same one that Kyle used to work with, to come and investigate the scene. And it wasn’t long before Thomas got answers about the scene and his dog.
They Waited at the Spot for the Authorities
Kyle patiently waited with his owner for the police to arrive. The dog had calmed down considerably since he lead his owner on a wild goose chase through the woods. And at least, this was a good opportunity for Kyle to see his old partner John from the police force. Thomas only wished that it could have been under better circumstances.
Kyle Was Reunited With His Former Owner
When the police showed up, which included Kyle’s old owner John, they set to work on finding out exactly what was in the tree stump that Kyle and Thomas located. Thomas explained to the team that it looked like there were remains stashed away in the decay of the tree, and they may be human, but he just couldn’t be sure.
It Was Like They Had Never Left Each Other’s Side
The instant that Kyle and John reunited, it was like they had never spent any time apart. Kyle’s eyes instantly lit up when he saw his old owner, and John immediately put his arms around the dog for a big embrace. Even though he missed the dog terribly, he knew that he did the right thing by letting the Smith’s adopt him because John just didn’t have the time to give Kyle the life he deserved.
They Had Stumbled Upon Remains
After a moment of inspecting the tree stump and surrounding area, the police force came up to Thomas with their findings. They agreed that what was in the tree looked like none other than a human skeleton, but they could not be entirely sure until they sent a sample of their findings to be inspected, which they were ready to do immediately.
Kyle Sniffed Out Something Significant
What was most miraculous about the finding in the woods was that Kyle could still do the job that he had done during his time on the police force without any issues. He didn’t even need his team by his side to uncover crimes in the wild. Not only was his owner surprised that his dog still had the skills he learned on the police force, but his old team was stunned that he didn’t need them by his side to do that job.
The Police Were Shocked By Their Findings
When the police force found what Kyle had uncovered, they were absolutely shocked. This dog not only lead his owner to a crime scene, but he may have also just found evidence that could solve a criminal investigation. And he did it all without being lead to the area by his team. The only thing left to do was find out what exactly he had found.
Thomas Couldn’t Believe What They Saw
Thomas was still unsure about his findings because the area they lived in was a peaceful part of town that didn’t typically have crimes like the one they may have uncovered. He just wasn’t sure that what his dog found was the real deal and he started to wonder if Kyle had an ulterior motive for bringing his owner out to this spot in the woods.
Kyle’s Nose Didn’t Lie
Kyle was trained in the police force to seek out controlled substances and other foreign objects and alert his owner when he found something that fit the bill, so it wasn’t often that his nose alerted his team with a false alarm. But there was still doubt in Thomas that what they found was really part of a crime.
Kyle Got Some Quality Time With His Old Owner
While the group awaited the results of the lab tests, Kyle got to spend some quality time with his old owner. The two of them played together like they used to and Kyle seemed to have the energy of a puppy again, a far cry from the lethargy he had been experiencing in the past few weeks.
John Had Broken His Promise
John hadn’t realized how much he had missed his old dog and it dawned on him just how long it had been since the two had seen each other. John meant to visit Kyle every once in a while, but he hadn’t even seen him once since the Smith’s moved to the country. He hadn’t realized how much he missed spending time with his dear old dog.
The Results From the Lab Arrived
After waiting for a couple of hours by the side of the tree, the results came back in from the lab. The remains that they found were not natural, they were actually made out of plastic. What they found must have been someone’s old Halloween decorations that somehow found their way into this part of the woods. So, why did Kyle react the way he did about his find?
Kyle Mimicked His Old Behaviors For Attention
After finding out that the skeleton wasn’t real, there was only one question on everyone’s mind: why did Kyle act like he had found something important? Kyle’s owner knew that his dog must have mimicked the behaviors he did around John while they were working together to get another chance to see his old partner from the force.
He Had Wanted to See His Old Owner Again
Kyle had obviously wanted to see his old owner, John, again. And he went to great lengths to do that. Kyle must have remembered their time on the police force investigating crime scenes together, so he pretended he was at a crime scene to get John to visit again.
They Were Stunned By the Dog’s Intelligence
John and Thomas were stunned by the intelligence of their dog! They knew that he had the smarts to sniff out crime scenes better than any other dog, but they had no idea that he could communicate with the people that he loved so well. So, John made a promise that he intended to keep.
A Promise Was Made
After this chance meeting with his old dog, John promised Thomas that he would take the time out of his schedule to visit with Kyle more often. He wouldn’t let weeks go by without seeing his old friend again and he promised to make more of an effort to be in Kyle’s life from then on, so he wouldn’t have anymore melancholy spells.