Dogsey

TYKE the Labrador’s endearing eyes and wagging tail provide a friendly welcome to the thousands of travellers landing daily at Heathrow Airport.

There cannot be a passenger who has not been won over by his gentle demeanour, yet his super-sensitive nose has become a vital weapon in the struggle to keep our nation’s borders safe.

Over his long and distinguished service, Tyke’s incredible sense of smell has been at the forefront in the war against bird and swine flu and, more recently, the scourge of Ebola.

His acute senses are also honed to sniff out contraband as well products made from animals teetering on the brink of extinction.

Rarely a day goes by when Tyke and his Border Force handler Samantha Moss are not called into action when he smells trouble.

As Tyke comes to the end of his distinguished career, he has been honoured with the prestigious Animal of the Year Award.

Last week Tyke’s handler Samantha, 31, received his trophy from the International Fund for Animal Welfare at a special ceremony at the House of Lords.

The IFAW awards, supported by the Sunday Express, are given to animal heroes for their outstanding contribution to protecting, caring and conserving wildlife and cherished pets.

Although Tyke is a much-loved family animal, he has also become a key member of the Border Force over his long and distinguished service which began when he was recruited from Battersea Dogs home as an 11-month-old puppy.

Now aged nine, Tyke’s training has put his acute sense of smell to detecting the slightest traces of illicit goods brought through Heathrow Airport.

Illegal foods are one of the biggest risks of introducing deadly and devastating illnesses into the country and Tyke has played a vital role in preventing avian flu, foot and mouth and swine flu coming into the country.

Bushmeat has been highlighted as one of the ways the deadly Ebola virus could slip into the UK and one of Tyke’s most memorable successes was when he detected a cooked monkey being smuggled into the airport.

Besides combating diseases, Tyke has also been trained to detect live animals and products from endangered species, including tortoises, birds, mammals, ivory, rhino horn, pangolin, caviar, corals, traditional Chinese medicines, feathers and furs.

When Tyke retires next year he will continue to live with Samantha as a much-loved pet.

She said: “Tyke has been a dream to work with. He is such a smart and enthusiastic dog and picked things up very quickly.

“Despite getting older he still loves the job but we are gradually getting him used to his upcoming retirement when he will be able to relax at home in comfort with me for the rest of his days.”