How two border collies help keep planes safe at a West Virginia airport
Meet Hercules and Ned, two border collies keeping West Virginia’s busiest airport safe while spreading smiles.
- Hercules and Ned, two border collies, work at West Virginia International Yeager Airport as wildlife specialists.
- Their primary job is to patrol the airfield and chase away birds, preventing potential collisions with aircraft.
- The dogs have become beloved airport ambassadors, comforting travelers and even inspiring a children’s book.
Even though border collies Hercules and Ned are panting after running around all morning, the second their human partner Chris Keyser says, “Ready” or “Bird,” the dogs will spring into action and start barking.
That’s because these dogs are trained as airport wildlife patrol for West Virginia International Yeager Airport, the state’s busiest airport. Eight-year-old Hercules and his younger coworker, Ned, 3, work with Keyser, the airport’s wildlife specialist, nearly every day to chase away any animals from the airport that could collide with aircraft.
Whenever birds are on the airfield – most often killdeer or geese in the West Virginia vicinity – the tower communicates with Keyser over the radio to command the dogs to run them off, rain or shine, from the taxiways to the grassy areas next to the fence.
“Anywhere there are birds, that’s where we go,” Keyser told USA TODAY.
The close bond between the trio is apparent, as the dogs happily rest on Keyser’s lap during their break. After all, the dogs have spent most of their life with Keyser, who said he’s always had a soft spot for dogs.
The collies may be adorable, but Hercules and Ned play an important role in airport safety. In 90% of the wildlife strikes between 2016 and 2021, there was no damage to the aircraft, but factors such as where the animals collide with the plane, their size and how many can result in more life-threatening outcomes. Between 1990 and 2023, there were 357 human injuries from wildlife strikes in U.S. civil aircraft, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
With their wagging tails and big smiles, the dogs have simultaneously become ambassadors for the airport, greeting passengers and adding a little delight to what can sometimes be stressful air travel.
A typical day for Ned and Hercules
Ned and Hercules live at the airport, sleeping in their own office that’s decorated with photos and military patches they’ve traded over the years with members of service, Keyser said. (In return, he gives out a Hercules badge.) While the dogs are left alone at night, Keyser typically arrives at work around 6 a.m. to let them out and feed them breakfast. “I open the door and they both come out and run and jump on me and kiss me to say, ‘Hey, good morning,'” he said. Then they all load up in the car, and Keyser checks to see where they’re needed for the day. The dogs are fed twice a day – with the younger Ned getting a little more food – and at around 10 p.m., Keyser returns them to their office so they can go to sleep.
On a typical day, the dogs can run up to six miles – even more when rain brings insects to the surface and attracts extra birds. “It’s an all-day job when it’s raining,” said Keyser. “It’s a tough job.” The only time the dogs don’t run is if there’s ice on the ground that could cut their paws, but it’s still a go if it’s just soft snow. When it’s hot out, Keyser brings plentiful water to keep them cool.
The dogs came from North Carolina-based Flyaway Geese, which has been breeding and training dogs to chase wildlife from spaces like airports or golf courses for almost 30 years. Owner Rebecca Gibson said border collies are some of the most effective breeds for the job based on the way they stalk prey. The two dogs have also been trained to chase sheep and goats.
“They put their heads down and their tails in between their legs and they stalk things,” Gibson told USA TODAY. “That body movement mimics the hunting movement of a wolf, coyote or arctic fox.” That predatory body posture is received by prey, who then quickly leave as a survival response.
Other working dogs, such as Labrador retrievers, are motivated by reward, while border collies “just want to work” – a perfect choice for wildlife management.
As he’s gotten older, the airport decided to recruit another wildlife patrol dog, and that’s when Ned came into the picture. He’s been shadowing Hercules to learn the ropes; they get along just like brothers. “To make everybody safe, that’s our main goal here,” Keyser said.
Unofficial airport ambassadors
A happy byproduct of Ned and Hercules’ presence is that they’ve become the unofficial ambassadors for the West Virginia airport. By nature, Hercules is a people dog and ends up adoring everyone he meets, Keyser said.
Gibson admits that Hercules was difficult to train at first, being a little stubborn and overly friendly to people. “He really did step up and put his big boy pants on, and I couldn’t be more proud of what he’s become,” she said.
Travelers who walk through the airport often ask if they can pet Hercules and Ned, because the dogs can calm their nerves about flying. “They see (Hercules), they put a smile on their faces,” Keyser said.
Even a children’s book, “The Adventures of Hercules: A New Friend,” was created based on Hercules. Based on a real-life incident, the book shares the story of a young girl who lost her stuffed animal at the airport. Hercules had kept it safe and reunited her with it on her return flight to the airport.
“We did a meet and greet with it and handed the little stuffed animal over to the girl and put a smile on her face as well,” Keyser said.
“I like making a difference here at the airport, keeping people safe who are flying in and out of here – and especially when somebody’s in a terminal and might be sad – or just putting a smile on everybody’s face,” said Keyser. “It makes me feel good, and it makes these dogs feel good too, because it makes them feel special.”
