Meet Mr. February And Ms. June In TSA's 2023 Explosives Detection Canine Calendar

ARLINGTON, VA — Two dogs trained to detect explosives at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport are featured in the Transportation Security Administration’s 2023 calendar that honors explosives detection canines from across the country.

Messi is a 6-year-old yellow Labrador retriever who works with his handler, Peter, at Reagan National Airport. Messi is featured in the calendar in February.

The second dog, Ava, is a 4-year-old German shorthaired pointer and is the featured canine for June. Ava works at Reagan National Airport with her handler, Patricia.

When Messi is not working, he enjoys watching airplanes and playing in the grass at Gravelly Point near Reagan National Airport. He also enjoys playing with a tennis ball after work.

Ava enjoys spending time outdoors and favors a bright yellow tennis ball as her toy of choice. She also likes to buck like a rodeo horse and prance through the airport.

The TSA trains its explosives-detection dogs at the TSA Canine Training Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Lockland in Texas. The TSA National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program is the Department of Homeland Security’s largest explosives detection canine program.

About 300 dogs complete the training annually. Each canine recruit spends 16 weeks in training where they meet their handlers, socialize to adapt to busy airport environments, and learn their craft of detecting a variety of explosive odors before reporting to their duty stations.

According to the TSA, the dogs and their handlers are reliable in detecting explosives at airports and also provide a visible deterrent to people planning to bring or plant explosives at airports, train stations and other transportation centers.

This year’s 2023 TSA Canine Calendar features fun facts and photos of the TSA’s canines selected from dozens of entries submitted by canine teams from across the agency.

TSA has more than 1,000 canine handler teams deployed in support of security and screening operations nationwide. The explosives-detection canine teams inspect passengers and all areas in and around terminals.

Other public and private sector law enforcement agencies also request the support of the TSA canines for similar security missions at other locations, according to the agency.

Visit the TSA’s website to download a free copy of the 2023 canine calendar.