The Only Good Thing About TSA: Puppies

Katie Pavlich | July 11, 2011 3:37 PM

Finally, going beyond groping sessions of babies and grannies.

Did you know the TSA has a Puppy Program?

TSA's Canine Breeding and Development Center, commonly referred to as the Puppy Program, selectively breeds, raises and prepares puppies to be future explosives detection dogs within the National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program. Dogs that graduate from training are assigned to airports and mass transit systems nationwide. The program is located at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

The TSA Explosives Detection Team welcomed puppy 500 back in April:

As part of TSA's Explosives Detection Canine Team efforts, the Puppy Program names each of the puppies after a 9/11 victim to honor their memory and this puppy was named after Capt. Robert Edward Dolan Jr., who lost his life in the attack on the Pentagon.

"My children and I are very excited to have a puppy named in Bob's memory," said Lisa Dolan, wife of the late Captain Dolan. "Bob began his military career as an explosives ordnance expert. When he was killed at the Pentagon, he was working on Homeland Defense, and so it very fitting to have one of the TSA puppies named for our hero, Captain Bob Dolan. Knowing "Puppy Dolan" will one day be an explosives detection canine in the service of our country is reassuring. Dolan's future career keeping travelers safe is a fitting addition to Bob's legacy of freedom."

Operating out of Lackland Air Force Base since 2002, TSA's canine program selectively breeds and prepares puppies to be future explosives detection dogs that are assigned to airports and mass transit systems throughout the country. Approximately half of the 500 puppies bred by TSA are working as detection dogs for federal, state and local law enforcement agencies or have been selected as breeders for the program. The puppies are named to honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, or who are fighting for our freedom overseas.

"We are proud that the program has provided hundreds of world class puppies over the past nine years," said TSA Administrator John S. Pistole. "Our dogs continue to perform at a high level and enhance TSA's explosives detection capabilities in transportation systems nationwide."