TSA CANINE HANDLER MARK SMITH PLACES A BLUE RIBBON ON STEELER, THE WINNER OF THE TSA’S CUTEST CANINE CONTEST FOR 2025. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

It’s not quite like winning the Super Bowl, but in airport security circles, it’s close.

Steeler, a four-legged explosive detection officer at Pittsburgh International Airport, has taken the title of top dog in the TSA’s Cutest Canine Contest for 2025.

The 2½-year-old a black Labrador retriever is the first winner on the East Coast since the contest, sponsored by the Transportation Security Administration, began in 2019. He beat out his closest competitor, Alex, another Lab who works at Denver International Airport, by 500 votes.

In this year’s contest, 97 dogs were nominated from around the country. TSA employees narrowed the list to the final four, and the vote was opened to the public. Nearly 12,000 votes were cast.

Steeler’s TSA canine handler Mark Smith, says he hopes Steeler’s triumph is a sign that the Pittsburgh Steelers will be heading to the Super Bowl next year.

While the contest may show a more playful side to the TSA and their canine officers, the work the dogs do is serious business.

PIT also has a yellow Labrador retriever and a German shorthaired pointer on the TSA explosive detection team. They’re all trained at the agency’s national Canine Training Center in San Antonio, Texas, and can be seen working through large groups of travelers at PIT’s security checkpoint or in the baggage area.

“Their noses are just incredible,” says Gerardo Spero, TSA federal security director for Pennsylvania and Delaware, who attended a ceremony at PIT on Tuesday for Steeler. The added layer of safety that the dogs provide “enhances the overall traveler experience,” he says.

STEELER WITH HIS TSA CANINE HANDLER, MARK SMITH | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

Smith, a former Marine who has worked as Steeler’s canine handler for about a year, says the dog can detect fewer than 10 grams of explosives, whether they’re hidden in a bag or at the bottom of a cargo bin. He says he uses the “psychology of dog training” to sharpen Steeler’s skills.

Smith demonstrated Steeler’s skills at the ceremony. A woman walked by with a bag and Steeler immediately pulled after her. “He’s trained to follow the smell like a bloodhound tracking a fugitive,” Smith says.

When he detects the odor, Smith tosses an orange ball to Steeler as his reward. And sometimes he gets a jumbo hog dog.

Steeler’s nose is so keen that when he smells a hamburger, he can detect individually the bun, the sesame seeds on the bun, the cheese, the lettuce, the tomato and more. And he would be able to find a single piece of cheese from among thousands of hamburgers, Smith says.

TSA CANINE HANDLER MARK SMITH WITH STEELER | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

Steeler lives with Smith and after work hours, he’s just like a regular dog who loves to run around, fetch balls and play with a tug rope. He said that each morning Steeler is “always excited to go to work.”

Steeler and the rest of his litter were born on Super Bowl Sunday 2023, so were all named after NFL teams.

The TSA chose to announce Steeler’s win on Aug. 26, National Dog Day. He’ll be featured on the cover of the TSA’s 2026 Canine Calendar, which will be released in December.