ST. LOUIS – Tank, the St. Louis Cardinals guard dog who has patrolled and guarded Busch Stadium for years, may win honors in a contest to find “America's Favorite Pet.”
Tank is one of several dogs on the Cardinals' bomb detection team. Vaporwake dogs like Tank are trained to alert security to potential explosives around the stadium, such as explosives that may be hidden in coats or backpacks.
Tank was recently nominated for the “America's Favorite Pet” contest. Fundraising website Colossal.org is sponsoring a contest at AmericasFavPet.com. Organizers say Tank is still among the top 20 potential winners.
“Tank's outstanding trait is his unwavering dedication to protecting the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans,” his America's Favorite Pet profile reads. “His outstanding skills and nine years of experience in explosive detection make him a trusted guardian. But beyond his professional talent, Tank's warm and loyal heart and Chocolate Lab's charm… That's a little bit of what makes him really special. He's the kind of guy you want to have around in the game and in life.”
Tank was selected by the Cardinals in 2017 after a stint at Auburn University.
The Cardinals invested about $100,000 in their K-12 security team in the 2010s. According to a 2016 FOX 2 report, Tank and other teammates “detected the scent of airborne bomb particles” with the goal of “luring police to the bomber before the device was activated.” They say they are trained to “sniff and track.”
This dog has an incredibly keen and strong sense of smell and can detect the smell of explosives minutes after the courier leaves the scene. When they're not working at the ballpark, the dogs may be working for the St. Louis City or St. Louis County Police Department.
Tank is currently ranked 1st in its voting group. The winner of “America's Favorite Pet” will be featured on the cover of Modern Dog and win her $10,000 to her owner or trainer.
The next voting period ends on February 15th at 9pm. Donations are required to vote. Click here for more information about the contest and voting process.
