TSA explosives detection canine Argo is featured in TSA’s 2025 canine calendar.
LINTHICUM, Md. – Argo, 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.
Argo is our canine for July 2025. He is a 9-year-old Labrador Retriever who works with handler Jonathan Lilly, at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). The two have been paired together for seven years. In addition to working at BWI Airport, they have supported Superbowls LVI and LVIII since they were high security events.
“I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside Argo and help protect the traveling public,” said Lilly. “We are partners in every sense of the word. Argo enjoys working and when he’s not working, he absolutely loves playing catch in the back yard, and he likes playing with his tennis ball on a rope. He will hold the rope and helicopter the ball around or bat the ball like it’s a ball of yarn.” Argo also likes chasing crickets outdoors.
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.