Sea-Tac Airport says bomb-sniffing dogs helping to speed up long lines this holiday



SEATTLE -- Amid the chaos of crowded Thanksgiving travel, a dog is laser focused on a very specific task at Sea-Tac International Airport.

The dog is sniffing for explosives even before people get to TSA’s security line.

“Once you walk around the dogs and they OK,  they don’t alert on anybody, they become a pre-check customer -- that means you don’t have to take off your shoes, take your computer out or take out your liquids,” Sea-Tac Airport spokesman Perry Cooper said Wednesday.

Sea-Tac says the dogs are not a response to the State Department’s worldwide travel alert.

Instead, the dogs are speeding up the long waits in security lines during peak travel times.

But no matter what mode of transportation, some travelers say the recent terror attacks in Paris are still on their mind.

“It’s pretty freaking awful, it makes me wonder what the people behind it, what they want,” traveler Choran MacDonald said.

As MacDonald prepares to board an Amtrak train in Seattle, he said he will stay vigilant but not afraid.

“If you see something say something,” Gay Banks Olson of Amtrak said.

The day before Thanksgiving is Amtrak`s busiest day of the year.

Security is noticeably heavy, both on and off the tracks.

“I think they are more noticeable because people are aware that there is a security alert out for people traveling abroad,” Olson said.

Whether your trip is long or short, by train or plane, travelers know they have to pack their patience.

“My flight isn’t for four hours; I am here anticipating all types of problems,” traveler Chris Bingham said.

If you think Wednesday is busy, Sunday will be even busier with 133,000 travelers.

Sea-Tac says they expect 800,000 travelers this holiday season. They are asking travelers to get to the airport two to three hours before their flight.