Pets Hunters

Dogs Protecting Airline Passengers

Though expensive metal detectors and armed security officers abound at all United States airports, airways are also turning to simpler measures to protect the approximate 769 million passengers who fly each year.

They employ dogs, whose hunting and herding abilities come as naturally to them as flying does to the birds.

Sky, a 1-year-old Border Collie, routinely frequents the Southwest Florida International Airport to help keep the birds at bay.

Sky helps prevent bird strikes, which can cause major damage to an aircraft. Birds can get sucked into an engine or hit a windshield with enough force to cause a pilot to lose control.

Military bases were the first to utilize dogs to ward off stray birds. The Dover Air Force Base, located in Delaware, has employed dogs to prevent bird strikes since the early 1980s.

Southwest Florida International was the first commercial airport in the nation to pick up the idea nearly 10 years ago.

Source: zootoo