ST PAUL, Minnesota — After a ten-year career, Minnesota-St. Paul Airport's (MSP) 'cutest K-9' is calling it quits and he's getting a one of a kind sendoff.
Eebbers the dog is a Visla-Lab mix, and is trained to detect bombs on people headed through the airport.
Just this past week: he was named cutest K-9 in all of the TSA.
And he did it as the oldest working K-9 in the agency.
This is Eebber's bread and butter.
"Our biggest threat is explosives coming through, and our K-9 teams are our best defense against that."
Leading longtime handler Jean Carney through MSP, tracking the scent of an explosive.
"He was born to do this," said handler Jean Carney. "His ability to search out his trained odors amazes me every day."
It's something he's done too many times to count, but on his last day, his reward is enough to send any tail into hyper-speed.
"It was the pinnacle of what we've worked for for all of these years. Just to let him be the dog that he deserves to be," said Carney. "He's worked so hard all of these years. He's been so dedicated, and such a hard worker, and the only thing he asked is that toy."
Over the course of his career, Eebbers has worked two Super Bowls, a Special Olympics World event, and an NCAA Championship. Safe to say he's kept a lot of people safe, and his handler says he's done it all with a smile on his face.
And as the work vest comes off, he can be pet, and also be embraced at work for the very first time.
Every bite of bomb shaped cake is a thank you for man's best friend, and man's best helper.
"I was just ready for him to be a dog. I just wanted him to enjoy the last few years just being a dog. Its inevitable he was going to come to a point where he was going to start slowing down, and maybe start not being as proficient as he was when he was younger," said Carney. "I didn't want him to go out on a low note."
Eebbers and handler Jean Carney were recognized with commemorative plaques for their service to the TSA.
Carney says their first retirement plan is to go swimming in Iowa's Lake Okoboji.