US EditionDog duo fends off wildlife at W.Va. airport
- Border collies Hercules and Ned, with handler Chris Keyser, conduct daily patrols along Charleston's milelong airfield to keep wildlife away from planes in West Virginia.
- Yeager Airport management purchased Hercules in 2018 on a wildlife biologist's advice to reduce frequent collisions between aircraft and birds common nationwide.
- The mountainous airport in Charleston is home to various wildlife species such as geese, raptors, waterfowl, small birds, and bats. In 2023, U.S. Airports experienced approximately 19 thousand incidents involving collisions between aircraft and wildlife, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration.
- Keyser said preventing bird strikes reduces flight delays caused by mandatory plane inspections, which can cause missed connecting flights, highlighting the patrols' safety impact.
- The patrols help maintain safe and smooth airport operations by reducing wildlife collisions that have historically caused 76 fatalities and destroyed 126 aircraft in the U.S. Since 1988.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier
Dog duo fends off wildlife at W.Va. airport
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Hercules and Ned have quite the spacious office at West Virginia’s busiest airport.
Dogs on duty at the airport, the real-life answer to Angry Birds
They may never become as famous as Laika, the first dog in space, nor as feared as police K-9s, but these two border collies are quietly saving lives and preventing anxiety attacks in airports and on planes. Hercules and Ned, are the real-world canine antidote to Angry Birds, protecting West Virginia International Yeager Airport in the United States by keeping flocks from launching themselves at planes, all while wearing their unofficial therapi…
Dog Lover JJ Wethetholt Greets Good Boys, Girls Before Game
Known dog lover JJ Wetherholt made sure to greet all the good boys and girls before a recent game. Wetherholt was a man of the people in West Virginia, but is now popular among canines as well. A fan actually posted a picture of Wetherholt with his dog at a “Bark in the Park” event before a Springfield Cardinals game. “Springfield had Bark in the Park yesterday and JJ Wetherholt waited to see all the dogs walking by before the game,” said the fa…
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