Two dogs, Hercules and Ned, work at an airport in West Virginia. They are border collies. The airport is in Charleston, on a mountain. The dogs and their handler walk around the airfield every day. Their job is to keep birds and other animals away from the airplanes. This is important because birds can cause problems for airplanes. They can break parts of the airplane, make flights late, and sometimes hurt people. In 2023, there were about 19,000 wildlife strikes in the U.S., says the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Most strikes were with birds.

Hercules came to the airport in 2018. A wildlife expert said it was a good idea to use dogs. Hercules trained for 18 months in North Carolina to learn how to herd animals like geese and sheep. He is now very good at his job. People at the airport like him. He is also popular on social media. Ned is a new dog on the team. He learned to herd goats and geese. The dogs talk with air traffic control when they are working. Their job helps flights stay safe and on time. Experts say using border collies is a smart way to keep airports safe.