How Canine Save The World

From detecting explosives to sniffing out cancer, it seems there’ s little that escapes the nose of man’ s best friend.

- Josh Sims

A little over 50 years ago, an anonymous caller to Trans World Airlines (TWA) threatened to blow up several of its jets unless he received USD2 million. The authorities at New York’s JFK airport immediately grounded flights. Others were turned back, including Flight 7 which had been en route to Los Angeles. Then it was noted that Brandy was on the scene. The German shepherd was at the airport that day to do a demonstration as part of an Army-funded research project. Now she was called on to go to work. She was led from one TWA aircraft to the next, and when she was taken onboard the recently returned Flight 7 she went straight to a briefcase labelled ‘crew’. It was filled with C4 explosive.

That was a particularly spectacular save. Bombers, it seems, are disinclined to work where they know sniffer dogs—or detection dogs, as they’re more properly known—will be in operation. And, since 9/11 in particular, that can seem to be everywhere. Many will be familiar with the sight of dogs at gigs and festivals, on the hunt for illegal drugs. Before COVID-19 scuppered public gatherings, even Ascot—one of the most upscale events in the international sporting calendar—was due to deploy sniffer dogs for the first time this year.