My name is Gento, I was born in the Netherlands, but soon made Washington D.C. my new home. I retired July 16, 2019 after being diagnosed with arthritis and degenerative joints. I had to stop my full-time job protecting the President and other government officials. I served for seven years traveling the world while being a member of the United States Secret Service Explosive Detection Unit.

My birthday is June 22, 2010. My favorite toy is my kong, but I’m not very picky so I also chew on any stuffed animals I find laying around—my family gets mad at me because I make a big mess when I chew up their teddy bears. I get confused sometimes, because my little sister, Nira and the new pet bunny, Luna look just my kong, I sometimes try to chew on them by accident! My favorite snack is cheese, my family buys a pack of string cheese that I get when I’m being good. Retirement is fun, but I miss seeing my best friend all the time. I like to sleep by the front door, waiting for him to finish his night shift. The best part of the day is when he gets home and I get to say hi to him and take a nap together.

My passport is full of stamps from my travels. I love long plane rides, and comfy beds to jump back and forth on. I’ve worked some pretty cool events, like the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, and showing up to help the post-natural disaster clean up in Florida. Some of my favorite memories from my United States trips have been swimming through the crystal-clear waters of Anchorage, Alaska, and exploring Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park. I have hit five of the seven continents, flying from Ethiopia to Laos and Japan, from Argentina to Russia and Jordan, and everywhere in between.

Traveling is fun, but also exhausting. While I don’t go to the White House much anymore, I spend my time protecting my family at home. It’s strange not going to work everyday with my best friend, luckily, I have Nira and Blue, my younger siblings to keep me company. We run back and forth from the couch to the front door when the doorbell rings, we roam around the backyard spying on our neighbors, and we move as a pack greeting all our house guests.

I like retirement, because I get to rest and play a lot more. I have a lot of veterinarian appointments to stay healthy, and it is very expensive. Luckily, I get taken care of by Paws of Honor and the generous people that make donations.