Aw - How come I can’t pet the TSA dog

It's understandable that the prekindergarten class at San Antonio's Mary Burns Michael Elementary School wanted to pet the TSA canine at their career day assembly. The dog, named Hamer, was hard to resist.

However, when the students learned that Hamer was a working dog visiting for their annual career day, they fought the desire to cuddle the canine until he was off duty.

Preschoolers may be too young to fully appreciate the gravity of TSA's no-fail mission, but an up close and personal lesson from Canine Training Instructors Adolfo Garcia and Dennis Soliz on what the agency's four-legged officers do was a great way to make a lasting, positive impression on the students.

School counselors Christine Felix and Hannah Sandoval invited TSA Canine Training Center staff to participate in their annual career day, an event that introduces the K-6 student body to post-secondary planning and career readiness. A mix of local businesses, military, for-profit and nonprofit organizations participated, carrying out Michael Elementary's mission statement of empowering each student and transforming their individual learning experience.

Hamer's universal appeal was an immediate icebreaker, gaining Garcia and Soliz instant credibility and the rapt attention of adults as well as children. The receptive classes learned about the importance of teamwork, the dedication and skills required for the job and the value of respecting animals while they're on duty.

The Canine Training Center staff are often invited to school career days and look forward to the visits. They were treated to breakfast in the school library before presenting their program in four 25-minute rotations throughout the morning.

"We accepted this speaking engagement to connect with the community, inspire the kids and raise awareness about the important work of canines," said Garcia.

"Usually, the children are (amped up) with excitement when they see the dog, and it's funny," said Training Instructor Zechariah Miller.

Miller, who also is the operations support coordinator, mentioned that occasionally, there's an exception to the adoring reception.

"As for fear, it's not too common, but sometimes you'll see a child or an adult who's a bit nervous," explained Miller. "Over time, they usually warm up and realize the dog is friendly and professional. On the flip side, many find it hard not to pet the canine. They get so fascinated by the dog's abilities, and sometimes it's a challenge to remind them the dog is focused on work, not playtime."

"The children said it was very hard not to pet Hamer, because they thought he was super cute ," said Felix. "The kids crafted a couple large heart posters for the presenters. These thank you cards included their names or little thumbprints, and they printed out pictures of dogs."

When asked what Hamer would say about his visit to Michael Elementary career day, Miller offered, "I think he would say, 'I love meeting new people, especially kids! Visiting a school on career day is a chance to show them how much fun it is to have a job that involves helping others. Whether it's sniffing out important scents, just being a loyal companion, etc., there's so much we can do. I hope they saw how awesome it is to work alongside humans and how much we can accomplish together. Plus, I get plenty of pets and attention when I'm not working, which is always a bonus.'"

By Karen Robicheaux, Strategic Communications & Public Affairs