MINNEAPOLIS - Voting is underway in the Transportation Security Administrations (TSA) 2023 Cutest Canine contest, and Zita, a three-year-old German Shorthair pointer who works at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport, is one of four finalists in this years contest.
The public is invited to help the agency select which of its working canines is most deserving of the title.All voting is being conducted via TSAs social media platforms including its Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts. Zita will be competing in Round One of voting Monday, Aug. 21 through Tuesday, Aug. 22. If she advances, the public can vote for her again in the final round of online voting starting Wednesday, Aug. 23.
TSA will announce the contest winner on Monday, Aug. 28.
After graduating from TSAs Canine Training Center in November 2022, Zita was assigned to MSP to replace Eebbers, who retired last year after being named 2022s Cutest Canine. MSP would be the first airport to boast back-to-back winners if Zita wins the contest this year.
TSA utilizes canines like Zita in its security operations nationwide. They are trained to detect the scent of explosives or explosive materials. These highly-skilled dogs are paired with handlersand utilize their keen sense of smell when working in a busy transportation environment.
Canines are a visible layer of security and they supplement TSAs efforts to keep travelers safe and secure. In addition to working in aviation environment, they are also trained to work in mass transit, commuter rail and maritime venues. TSA currently has more than 1,000 explosives detection canine teams deployed nationwide.
In addition to MSPS Zita, the other finalists are Dina, a German Shorthaired Pointer from Harry Reid International Airport (LAS); Zeta, a German Shepherd from Tampa International Airport (TPA); and Joker-Jordan, a Belgian Malinois from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
Below are the direct links to TSAs social media accounts where votes can be cast. Dont delay, paws what you are doing and vote for Zita today!
* On Instagram:www.instagram.com/tsa
* On Twitter:www.twitter.com/tsa
* On Facebook:www.facebook.com/tsa
On LinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/company/tsa
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration