Your house dog may not always seem like the most capable or helpful animal, but Piper the Border Collie is proving that dogs can do just about anything with enough training.
For the past year, Piper, the 8-year-old Border Collie, has been working as an airport K-9 at the Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, Michigan. As part of his job, Piper helps control wildlife on the runways by chasing away ducks, owls, foxes, geese, and any other creatures that occasionally find their way onto the runway. “Border Collies are born for this type of work, they’re herders,” owner Brian Edwards said.
Edwards got Piper in 2012, and thought his extremely active dog would be perfect for the job. With training, Piper excelled and got used to being around airplanes since it’s “not something that is natural for a dog. We train for the worst possible scenario, knowing we’re going to perform our best,” Edwards said.
To help him stay safe while helping keep wild animals and humans safe, Piper has a uniform of a vest, custom goggles for protecting his eyes from sunlight, debris and dust, as well as ear muffs to protect his hearing.
Watch the entire video below to see Piper in action on the airport’s runway.
Have you ever seen an airport K9 at work on the runway before? Let us know in the comments below, and please SHARE this amazing story with friends and family on Facebook.
[Featured image credit: Instagram/airportk9]
Meet Piper: The Incredible Airport K-9 Who Keeps The Runway Safe is an article from: LifeDaily