a day ago
Steeler from Pittsburgh International Airport advances to finals in TSA's Cutest Canine Contest
Pittsburgh International Airport's bomb-sniffing dog Steeler is in the finals of the Transportation Security Administration's Cutest Canine Contest.
After defeating Erika in the Final Four, Steeler, a 2-year-old black Lab, is up against Alex, a 9-year-old Labrador/golden retriever mix at the Denver International Airport. Voting opened at noon on Wednesday and will run 24 hours.
Steeler's favorite treat is a quarter jumbo hot dog from 7-Eleven, his favorite reward is his ChuckIt! ball with a tug rope and his favorite activity is "low-crawling across floors and rolling around whimsically."
Not to be outdone, Denver has some pretty cute stats, too. His favorite treat is green beans, his favorite reward is his Santa Claus Wubba and his favorite activity is playing fetch and catch.
Steeler and his litter were born on Super Bowl Sunday and were all named after NFL teams. He's a young working pup, with one year of service under his belt (or, in this case, collar), but the TSA says he's making a strong impression at the Pittsburgh airport, where he works with explosives detection canine handler Mark Smith.
The TSA uses canines like Steeler in security operations nationwide. They're trained to detect the scent of explosives or explosive materials in busy transportation environments, including airports, commuter rails and maritime venues.
