Steeler from Pittsburgh International Airport wins TSA's Cutest Canine Contest
Steeler, a bomb-sniffing dog at Pittsburgh International Airport, is officially the Transportation Security Administration's cutest canine.
On National Dog Day, Steeler, a 2-year-old Labrador retriever, was crowned the winner of TSA's annual Cutest Canine Contest. He won by just a few hundred votes, beating out Alex, a 9-year-old Labrador/golden retriever mix at the Denver International Airport.
Steeler was one of 97 dogs nominated by TSA canine handlers. Employees voted online and narrowed the field to the final four pups, who then went before the public for a vote on social media.
Steeler is a young working dog with one year of service under his belt (or, in this case, collar), but the TSA says he's making a strong impression at the Pittsburgh airport, where he works with explosives detection canine handler Mark Smith. He enjoys fetching balls, playing with a tug rope and eating jumbo hot dogs.
Smith says it was "fate" that Steeler made it to Pittsburgh.
"His whole litter was born on Super Bowl Sunday a couple years ago. The TSA bought three of those dogs, I think Bronco, Jet and Steeler. Steeler just magically made it to Pittsburgh. Fate kind of worked out for him," Smith said.
The TSA uses canines like Steeler in security operations nationwide. They're trained to detect the scent of explosives or explosive materials in busy transportation environments, including airports, commuter rails and maritime venues.
As a prize for winning, Steeler will grace the front cover of the TSA's 2026 canine calendar, which will be released in December.