Paws on patrol: The police dogs at Zurich Airport

At Zurich Airport, specialized teams ensure the safety of passengers and the airport around the clock. Among the action: Police officer Nina Knabenhans, team leader Jörg Guggisberg, and their sniffing partners. We accompanied police dogs Anora and Roxy as they searched for drugs, explosives and money.

It is a cold Wednesday morning when the Zurich Cantonal Police warmly greet us with a very special secret weapon: Roxy, a seven-year-old German shepherd. Not a high-tech device, but a trained protection and explosives detection dog. It quickly becomes clear that Roxy is more than just a workhorse. “We are a team, Roxy is part of the family,” says police officer and dog owner Nina Knabenhans. The Zurich native has been working at Zurich Airport for over five years. Her duties include checking suspicious objects at the airport or in aircraft and detecting explosives with her service dog Roxy.

To ensure that every action is precise in this important task, Nina Knabenhans and Roxy train for emergencies at least once a month – as they are doing today. In a SWISS Airbus A320, Nina Knabenhans hides explosives in a seat pocket. At her signal, Roxy begins the search. It takes only a few minutes before the dog lies down motionless between the rows of seats, signalling that the explosives have been found.

Euro smells different than Swiss Francs
Roxy is not the only nose on the ground at the airport. At the gate, the four-year-old dog Anora rushes toward us. “She’s very affectionate,” laughs her owner Jörg Guggisberg, head service dog handler for the Zurich Cantonal Police. But the Large Munsterlander also knows exactly when it’s time to work: as soon as her “uniform,” the collar, is on, the search begins. Anora is a trained narcotic, currency, and criminal investigation detection dog, specializing in finding banknotes and drugs.

The training is demanding, and the material used by the Zurich Cantonal Police is anything but ordinary. “We train our dogs with real materials,” explains Jörg Guggisberg. “The banknotes come from the Swiss National Bank (SNB). The drugs are borrowed for specific training purposes. Everything is carefully documented.”

To demonstrate Anora’s abilities, Jörg Guggisberg hides some Swiss banknotes in a backpack. Detection dogs can be specifically trained to detect various currencies, such as Euro or Swiss Francs, explains Guggisberg. It takes less than a minute of sniffing and searching before Anora alerts. She stands still at the spot where the Swiss banknotes were hidden. Only when commanded by her master does she rush off again, joyfully picking up her reward, her favourite toy.

On patrol at the departure gates.
On patrol at the departure gates.

Paws on patrol
The patrol continues – because aviation security also requires a visible presence. Prevention through a four-legged presence that does not go unnoticed: as Anora and Roxy walk through the departure gates with their owners, they attract curious glances from passengers. The morning flies by, and it quickly becomes clear that the officers love their work. “You really have to have a heart for dogs,” says Jörg Guggisberg.

There are around 100 service dogs and a total of 75 service dog handlers at the Zurich Cantonal Police. In addition to their work with the dogs, the dog handlers are also “regular” police officers. However, working with the dogs is something truly special. Since puppyhood, the handlers have been accompanying their super-sleuths, who live with them at home. The two- to three-year training process for the dogs takes place in Dübendorf, very close to Zurich Airport. Here, human and dog grow together, and the close bond and trust are the key to success. Together, they ensure that Zurich Airport remains a safe place.

Text & Images: Tanja Fegble

Video Editing: Shannon Braun

 

Published on 27 January 2025