A video of a service dog at Shymkent airport refusing to leave a passenger's side has gone viral on social media, sparking a search for the man. The clip shows the dog, a Belgian Malinois, approaching the traveler and staying close as he pets it, according to infohub.kz.
The man was flying from Shymkent to Moscow on a Scat Airlines flight. The dog, seemingly drawn to him, would not move away. The passenger, clearly enjoying the attention, smiles and strokes the animal. The video's author, impressed by the man's reaction, decided to find him and share the footage.
Commenters have joked that the dog's interest is unlikely to be mere affection, especially since it wasn't wagging its tail. Some suggest the dog may have detected something suspicious. One user shared a personal story: "I once felt the same way about a service dog at the airport, and the dog responded, but then those idiots dragged me off for a search and demanded I show my currency." Another explained: "In most airports, service dogs trained to detect drugs or explosives are taught not to lunge, as many think, but to approach and rub against the suspect."
Other theories include the man knowing the dog or its handler, or the dog sensing medication from a recent surgery, as a bandage was visible on his ear. Some speculated the dog smelled drugs but didn't signal because the man wasn't carrying any.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that Kazakhstan's National Security Committee earned more than expected from retired dogs, with some shepherds fetching 152,000 tenge instead of the planned 500.