Epic, a 4-year-old Labrador retriever from Pittsburgh International Airport, is in the final four in the Transportation Security Administration’s 2026 Cutest Canine Contest.
The sniffing dog is a teammate of last year’s winner, Steeler.
Epic is competing against another 4-year-old lab, Ember, from Florida’s Orlando International Airport, in the second round of the semifinals.
Voting for this round kicked off at noon on Tuesday and will run through noon on Wednesday.
“Epic has served the Pittsburgh area for approximately two years,” said his partner, Explosives Detection Canine Handler Devon Flaig. “Epic loves to chase the ball in his free time, and his favorite reward is playing with a Gappay ball. He also enjoys eating chicken jerky.”
According to the TSA, it uses canines like Epic in its security operations nationwide. They are trained to use their keen sense of smell to detect the scent of explosives or explosive materials in busy transportation environments.
The first bracket of TSA’s Cutest Canine Contest semifinals pitted Bolt, a German shorthaired pointer from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, against Xaro, a German shepherd from St. Louis Lambert International Airport, with voting in that round completed earlier on Tuesday.
TSA will announce the winner of the contest on Wednesday, Aug. 26, National Dog Day.
Here are the links to TSA’s social media accounts where you can cast your votes:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/tsa
- X: x.com/tsa
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/tsa
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