The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) is celebrating three-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP) Dina who was voted TSA’s Cutest Canine for 2023.
In two rounds of national voting conducted last week on TSA’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts, Dina came out as ‘top dog.’ TSA held the contest in recognition of National Dog Day, which is celebrated every year on August 26.
Dina started her career with TSA in May 2022 and has been paired with her handler Nick since then.
Dina is a very special canine with a strong work ethic. She can be seen working regularly at LAS as part of TSA’s security operations. Dina is all-black, a rarity for a GSP, and is often misidentified as a black Lab.
Fun loving and attention seeking, Dina is a pup who wants to be everyone’s best friend. She loves to have her velvety ears rubbed and works hard to be rewarded with her favorite toy – a yellow tennis ball!
“We are thrilled to celebrate Dina today as she officially is crowned TSA’s cutest canine. One look at her and you can see why she is most deserving of this title,” said TSA Federal Security Director for Nevada Karen Burke. “We at TSA know we wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the tremendous support of the southern Nevada community. Thank you for raising your ‘paw’ for Dina and helping us highlight the important role canines play in our security operations.”
When Dina is not working at LAS, she likes to spend time at home with her handler where she enjoys belly rubs and eating Greenies. Dina considers herself a princess who loves to lounge around the house and relax in the sun.
TSA utilizes passenger screening canines (PSCs) like Dina in its security operations nationwide. They are trained to detect the scent of explosives and explosive materials. These highly-skilled dogs are paired with handlers who utilize the working canine’s keen sense of smell when working throughout busy transportation environments.
Travelers departing, arriving and walking through the nation’s airports routinely see PSC teams working around passengers. These teams nimbly work through large groups of people to detect the source of a potential explosive. PSC handlers train frequently with their canines and learn how to interpret canine behaviors when the dog detects an explosive scent.
Currently, TSA has trained more than 1,000 canine teams that work at airports and mass-transit facilities across the country. While TSA’s canine partners are sociable, they are working dogs and should only be touched and fed by their handlers.
For the past five years in August, TSA has invited the public to vote for its favorite working canine. This year in the final round of voting, Dina beat Joker-Jordan, a Belgian Malinois from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta to win the crown of cutest canine. Two other canines – Zeta, a GSP from Tampa International Airport and Zita, a GSP from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport – were semi-finalists in this year’s contest.
In addition to Dina, LAS is also home to the agency’s current Canine Handler of the Year. In May, TSA recognized Koa Purugganan as the nation’s top canine handler. Koa who has been a canine handler since 2019 was chosen from among more than 400 TSA canine handlers for this honor. Koa works at LAS with a six-year-old GSP named Bubba.
In 2021, Alona, a four-year-old Golden Retriever at the time, was voted that year’s cutest canine. After a more than five-year career as a working dog, Alona recently retired and lives with her handler Vanessa who continues to work as a TSA canine handler.
After being named cutest canine, travelers regularly recognized Alona during her working days at LAS. We hope the same will be true for Dina.
Prior winners of TSA’s cutest canine contest include:
- 2019: Alfie, Labrador Retriever, and his handler Jason; Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
- 2020: Kajla, Vizsla, and her handler Penny; Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu
- 2021: Alona, Golden Retriever, and her handler Vanessa; Harry Reid International Airport
- 2022: Ebbers, Labrador, and her handler Jeannie; Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
Later this year, TSA will announce the availability of its 2024 Canine Calendar, featuring 13 TSA canines. Dina will be featured on the cover of the calendar.