Sometimes when you lose your job, an even better opportunity presents itself, especially if you’re a very good boy like Ozzie, the German shepherd!
That’s right. Ozzie was born and bred to be a police dog for the Queensland Police Service in Australia, but it was soon found out that his true calling wasn’t chasing down bad guys. Hopefully, his mother wasn’t too upset.
Thankfully, the Brisbane Airport scooped up this special dog for a vital role — Scaring away birds and wildlife from airplanes on the runway.
A Very Good Boy
Bird strikes are no joke! In the US, about 10,000 collisions between wildlife and aircraft are reported a year to the FAA, nearly 100% occur on takeoff or landing.
Thanks to hardworking dogs like Ozzie, the birds have flown the coop, so to speak, keeping the airport safe for crew and passengers alike.
Pawfect Career
?Our latest Airside Ops recruit has repawted for training! Ozzie comes to us from @QldPolice so you know he is going to bring some pawsome skills to the table. 12/10 would hire?#AirsideWithOzzie pic.twitter.com/iD3rCPzbkD
— Brisbane Airport ✈️ (@BrisbaneAirport) September 23, 2019
It’s a new career that suits this very special canine pawfectly. But you can’t be on a job like this alone. So, he works hand-in-paw with his handler Jackson Ring. They not only work together but live together, too!
Prior to Ozzie joining the team, the airport used cars with sirens as well as pyrotechnics to deter the birds. But that stopped working because the birds adapted to the loud sounds.
Having Ozzie around helped change the situation for the better. He must be doing a great job because the birds don’t come near the planes anymore. Good job, Ozzie!
Baby Ozzie Throwback
What’s even better is that Ozzie will continue to do an excellent job for the airport as long as payment is in the form of a ball. According to Ring, Ozzie’s favorite thing is ball, followed by breathing. And who doesn’t like to breathe, or play ball? After a long day of giving chase to the birds, Ozzie is still energized enough to play ball. A great ending to any dog’s day.
A Job Only a Dog Could Love
When days at the airport aren’t too busy, it’s off to the park with Ring to practice drills with the resident birds.
Not everyone can say they love their job, but we think Ozzie would if he could speak our language. He’s got great coworkers who just love having him around, plus they give him a paws-up.
Ring especially enjoys the special bond and companionship that Ozzie brings to his life. Not to mention the positive vibes.
Wherever Ozzie’s mom is, we want her to know that although he didn’t make it as a police dog, he sure did A-OK for himself.
So, give this dog a ball!
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