TSA explosives detection canine Hary is featured in TSA’s 2025 canine calendar.
RICHMOND, Va. – Hary, a Transportation Security Administration explosives detection canine who is specially trained to screen passengers as well as inanimate items, is featured in the free downloadable TSA 2025 Monthly Canine Calendar that features several of the agency’s explosives detection canines from across the country.
Hary is our canine for September 2025. He is a 6-year-old German Shepherd who works with handler Kyle Smith, at Richmond International Airport. The two have been paired together for four years, working at Nashville International Airport, Charlotte International Airport and now at Richmond.
The two have also been deployed to assist with high-level security events at a Superbowl, the Indianapolis 500 and most recently at a Formula One race in Las Vegas.
“It is an honor to have the opportunity to work alongside Hary and help protect the traveling public,” said Smith. “We are a team, a partnership that brings out the best in both of us,” Smith says. “Hary is a true worker to the core. He loves to chase his ball and play fetch most of all. But he’s not too shy to take a treat. He loves a dog biscuit. He truly is a wonderful working canine. He loves the game of searching. He has the energy of a puppy and a heart of gold. Fun fact is that he is an excellent flyer! Over the years he’s been such a great dog when we’ve had to travel for work and fly in the cabin of a plane.”
TSA trains each of its explosives detection canines at the National TSA Canine Training Center, located at Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland in San Antonio, Texas. Considered the “Center for Excellence” for explosives detection canine training, the TSA National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program is the Department of Homeland Security’s largest explosives detection canine program.
About 300 canines complete the training annually and are assigned to TSA canine handlers or to TSA’s partner law enforcement agencies. Each canine recruit spends 16 weeks in training where they meet their handlers, socialize to adapt to busy airport environments, and learn their craft of detecting a variety of explosive odors before reporting to their duty stations.
Each canine and their handler serve as a reliable resource for detecting explosives as well as providing a visible deterrent to terrorism directed towards various types of transportation nodes. Once on duty, these canines work to safeguard passengers and cargo across the nation’s transportation systems including on buses, rail systems and in airports.
This year’s calendar features fun facts and great photos of a few of TSA’s dedicated canines selected from dozens of entries submitted by canine teams from across the agency to help TSA celebrate National Dog Day in August.
TSA has more than 1,000 canine handler teams deployed in support of security and screening operations nationwide. The explosives detection canine teams inspect passengers and all areas in and around terminals. They are so effective at their jobs that other public and private sector law enforcement agencies often request their support for similar security missions.