An Airport Animal Encounter

a group of brochures on a green surface

In mid-January I wrote about a Washington Post article: Don’t Pet the Dogs, Collect the Cards. I’ve been hoping to spot a TSA K-9 handler to ask for a card but hadn’t seen any at the airport up until our most recent arrival at Newark Airport (EWR). We were coming back from our Quick Euro Roadtrip.

After getting our backpacks from the baggage claim, we were getting our things organized when a happy Customs and Border Protection K-9 came wandering by with his handler.

a close up of a card

Lucas thought that it was funny to see the dog Sarge come by and  sniff our and other travelers’  bags. He started laughing actually and I had to remind him not to touch the TSA dog!

The handler started pulling him away towards another group when I remembered the K-9 trading cards! As he was just past us I called out to him and asked if he had any of the cards. I was told that if we could wait a few minutes, he would go get some since he had none on him at the moment.

We waited and sure enough he came right back with a bunch of the cards featuring his dog Sarge.

These cards look a bit different than the ones from the Washington Post article I had previously written about. Maybe they’re  from a different series or something but either way they are a pretty cool idea.

The cards are much like your typical sports card featuring a photo of the K-9 on the front with a bunch of stats on the back.

a dog on a card

The front features a photo of the friendly pooch Sarge.
a white and blue card with text

The back features a variety of important things like name, location, breed, year started and specialization. It also has some silly info like best trick and quote from canine.

It was interesting to learn that Sarge’s biggest seizures were pig snouts & lizard meat!

These cards can be a lot of fun for kids. I know Lucas wanted one of the cards right away!

Has anyone else ever been offered or asked for a K-9 trading card at a U.S. airport? What are your thoughts on the cards? Are they a waste of $$$ or nice gesture?

3 thoughts on “An Airport Animal Encounter

  1. Mike- I agree!

    Kiteflyer- I think the cards are a nice idea, especially for kids. The gov could prob spend the $ on better things but I still think it’s a nice gesture. BTW- the cards are with some other airline/ travel souvenirs for now.

  2. A K-9 trading card? Jeez, what will the gov waste our money on next? The fact that you’re asking if it’s a waste leads me to believe it is. I’m curious, where is that card now? I’m betting it’s in a pile of papers and you’ll shuffle it around for a few weeks before tossing.

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