A TSA screening dog from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport won the organization’s ‘Cutest Canine’ contest, reports CNN.
Eebbers, an 11-year-old Vizsla-Labrador mix, won out of 92 candidates. Throughout the past month, the TSA held a contest across different social media platforms encouraging the public to vote for their favorite pup. After all the votes were counted, Eebbers emerged as the clear winner.
The Cutest Canine Officer
Eebbers is a passenger screening dog. Together with his handler, they screen travelers and their luggage to detect any explosives. This pup knows his stuff, though. Eebbers has been working at the Minneapolis airport for nearly 10 years. On top of that, he is the last dog born into the TSA’s ‘Puppy Program’ who hasn’t retired.
The program began in the aftermath of 9/11. With the creation of the TSA, government officials knew that having a standardized breeding program in place to supply high-quality detection dogs would be paramount.
The program was based at the TSA Canine Training Center at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. At 10 weeks, the pups enter foster homes in the local area to be properly socialized. After their first birthday, they return to the military base to begin training in earnest.
As of today, the TSA has discontinued the program. However, they continue to bring up ambitious pups in this line of work, with an average of 325 dogs completing their training every year.
A Lifetime of Service
Eebbers’ resume is impressive by any standards: He’s been a part of critical security for “two Super Bowls, the Special Olympics World Games, an NCAA National Championship Football game, and the NASCAR Indianapolis 500.” On a more somber note, Eebbers’ namesake is in memoriam to 19-year-old Army Pvt. 2 James Henry Ebbers, who passed away in combat during Operation Enduring Freedom.
And while we’re sure Eebbers still has a few years of service in him, he may also have a future in modeling. The adorable pup will grace the cover of the TSA’s 2023 Canine Calendar.
