MINNEAPOLIS — Talk about a mic drop.
In what the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) calls a wave of "overwhelming" online support, Eebbers the explosive detection canine dog at MSP International Airport is officially the agency's "2022 Cutest Canine."
Eebbers, an 11-year-old Vizsla-Lab mix, is a passenger screening canine who has worked alongside his handler at MSP for almost 10 years. He has provided security for two Super Bowls, the Special Olympics World Games, a NCAA National Championship Football game, the Indianapolis 500 and a NASCAR event. His handler Jean Carney says Eebbers stays active every day (even during cold Minnesota winters) and loves swimming in any of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes in the summer.
Consider the Cutest Canine honor his final bow, as Eebbers is retiring. He will be honored both for his outstanding service and his cutest award at a ceremony at 10 a.m. this Wednesday, Aug. 31 at MSP's Terminal One.
The TSA says Eebbers was born into TSA’s Puppy Program and named in memory of 19-year-old U.S. Army Pvt. James Ebbers who passed away October 14, 2002 in Dijbuoti, Africa. He was one of four TSA canine candidates, along with Ava and Messi from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Tom-Magnum from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The pups were nominated by TSA handlers from airports around the country and voted on by dog lovers across the country.
Later this year the TSA will make its 2023 Canine Calendar available. It will feature the top 12 runners up from the 2022 Cutest Canine Contest, with our good boy Eebbers smack dab on the cover.
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