Piper, an 8-year-old Border Collie, is probably the coolest dog that anyone can ever meet. He has an amazing job and wears an impressive uniform to work.
His job at the Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, Michigan is very important. He makes quite sure that the runway is safe for planes to take off.
This impressive dog works with his owner, Brian Edwards, the operations supervisor at Cherry Capital Airport. Piper’s job is to chase after birds, as well as owls, geese, ducks, foxes, and other animals off the runways.
Teaching old dogs new tricks
According to Brian, he took Piper in when he was already six years old. He was previously an obstacle racing dog. Because of his breed and temperament, Brian figured out that could be trained to go after animals that fly in or wanders into the runway.
Brian had heard about other airports that employ dogs to do wildlife control, and he thought that Piper could be a good candidate for the job. So he developed a training program for him and got started immediately.
The crucial part of his training was getting used to the planes and the huge noise that they make. Dogs have sensitive hearing, and they easily get startled. He was also taught to keep away from the runway when a plane is coming in.
Soon enough, Piper excelled in his job and became a crucial part of the airport’s operations.
Proud dad
Brian said that watching Piper do his job is the proudest moment in his life. They traveled a long road to get to where they are now, but it was all worth it. Many people have positively responded to the dog’s excellent performance and track record.
In fact, Piper has become a local celebrity because of his cool job, especially when he dons his safety goggles.
Source: ABC News via Youtube
