Some dogs have jobs, too.
Two canines who spend their work days sniffing through cargo for illegal drugs and food at John. F Kennedy International Airport paid a special visit to students at PS 163, who’ve spent the last month studying why service dogs are man’s best friend.
Trained handlers from U.S. Customs led the animals through mock inspection drills to show kindergarten, first and second graders at the Bath Beach school on Bay 14th Street how the animals help secure one of the world’s busiest airports.
Terry, a sleek Belgian Malinois, scurried across a stage strewn with luggage to the one suitcase filled with narcotics-scented towels. Then Jackson — a nosy black lab trained to search for smuggled food and plants — delighted students by smelling his way to the one package in a heap of boxes that contained tainted grub.
PS 163 teacher Hope Stogel said the demonstration proved that dogs do more than bark and play.
“The students got an appreciation for how dogs are used other than as pets,” said Stogel, a speech pathologist who organized the event. “The kids loved it — they were surprised how quickly the dogs could find the [suspicious items].”
Reach reporter Daniel Bush at dbush@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-8310. Follow him at twitter.com/dan_bush.
