The federal COVID-19 vaccination mandate has left the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with a worker shortage looming over the holiday season. In fact, over 40 percent of the TSA workforce remain unvaccinated ahead of Biden’s November 22nd deadline.
“Employees who choose to remain unvaccinated for COVID-19 and have not received or have a pending request for a legally required exemption will be subject to discipline, up to and including removal from federal service,” an agency spokesperson told The Points Guy.
In response to TSA vaccination numbers, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer suggested that dogs should replace the TSA’s unvaccinated employees to avoid travel delays.
Sen. Chuck Schumer Has A Plan: More Dogs
“If TSA lags in jabs, send in the dogs,” Schumer said in press conference (via The New York Post).
“Now if the agency plans now with contingencies, including the deployment of the canine dog teams, wherever the vaccine rates are impacting staffing and security, travel headaches can be avoided.”
Schumer also heaped praise on the dog teams and explained exactly how they can help.
“The canine teams are really effective,” he said. “They can help secure national security and allow TSA agents to more effectively and efficiently screen individuals for explosives. It really works and moves the lines along.”
The TSA Responds
The TSA doesn’t want the public to panic just yet. Spokesman Robert Langston said that the agency’s low vaccination numbers aren’t “an accurate reflection of its vaccination rate” since they agency “doesn’t yet have vaccination information” on all their employees.
“Employee vaccination remains a priority within TSA,” Langston said.
“As we’ve seen across other sectors, we anticipate that the vast majority of TSA employees will get vaccinated. Thousands of TSA employees upload their vaccination every week.”
What Can TSA Dogs Do?
According to TSA’s official website, the TSA National Explosives Detection Canine Program trains potential agency dogs in all manners of explosives detection “inclusive of all transportation environments including airport, terminal, freight, cargo, baggage, vehicle, bus, ferry and rail.”
As of May 2021, “more than 1,000 TSA canine teams” deployed in over “100 of the nation’s airports, mass-transit and maritime systems” to screen passengers and detect explosives.
Did You Know You Can Adopt A TSA Dog?
Not all dogs who enter the TSA’s rigorous program graduate, so the agency puts them up for adoption!
“These dogs are highly active and in most cases, untrained and not house broken, but with proper training and care, they can be a great addition to families. On occasion, there are dogs that have been retired from government service,” the TSA’s Canine Adoption Program page reads.
However, there is a stringent selection process, and all applicants must meet the following requirements.
- You must have a fenced in yard at the time of applying.
- There should be no intentions of moving within six months of adopting a dog.
- Homes must abide by all local pet ordinances.
- You must agree to provide the dog with appropriate medical care, exercise, training, and companionship.
- All existing pets in the home must have current vaccinations and preventive care.
- The organization will take the age of children in the home into consideration when selecting a dog.
All applicants who meet this criteria must “sign and notarize a ‘Covenant Not to Sue with Indemnity’ agreement” and show proof of a “microchip registration prior to pick-up.”
If you want to provide a forever home to one of these dogs, then email the adoptions coordinator at adoptatsacanine@tsa.dhs.gov.
Do you think more TSA dogs in airports will speed up lines during the holiday season? Have you ever thought about adopting a former TSA dog? Then let us know in the comments below!
