Canine team goes to work at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport

A dedicated team is working daily to make sure all passengers are screened for explosives and explosive materials at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

Three of their names are Rea, King and Duke, and they are motivated by the opportunity to play with a squeaky toy.

The specially trained canines are part of the Transportation Security Administration’s team of dogs and handlers that search travelers and their belongings for explosives and explosive materials at the Honolulu airport. Departing passengers will likely see the dogs, officially known as Passenger Screening Canines, working the line before a security checkpoint.

“Safety is our top priority and we are continuously in communication with our federal partners to ensure the traveling public is protected,” said Jade Butay, director of the Hawaii Department of Transportation in a news release. “We are grateful to have the TSA canines at HNL as one of the safety features in our airport security plan.”

The dog-handler teams are trained to navigate among crowds and to pinpoint the source of an explosive odor, even if it is in motion, according to TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers. To indicate a find, the screening canines will follow the scent to alert their handler, or sit down or lie down.

If a dog alerts its handler to the presence of an explosive odor, the TSA follows an established procedure to resolve the alarm, she said. The dog has already done its job and plays no role in enforcement.

What is important for the public to know is that while the dogs are sociable, they are working, and should not be petted or fed by anyone except their handlers, she said. Travelers also should keep moving along in a line, and not pause when the working dogs pass by.

The TSA currently has more than 320 canine-­and-handler teams working across the United States.

Most work at airports, but some also work in non-aviation transportation venues and at events like the Honolulu Marathon.

The dogs are trained at a center in San Antonio, according to canine supervisor Shawn Crawford, and are regularly tested. Most are sporting breeds, and there can be a wide range of dogs doing the work.

At the Honolulu airport, for instance, the canine team includes King, a yellow Labrador retriever, who has worked at a presidential inauguration and a Super Bowl, and Rea, a German shorthaired pointer who also has worked a presidential inauguration and a basketball tournament.

Duke is also a German shorthaired pointer, with a distinctive, black patch around his left eye. Kajla is a high-energy Vizsla, and Brute is a German wirehaired pointer, a furry breed not often seen in Hawaii.

Each screening canine has its own unique personality and rapport with its human handler.

The dogs arrive at the airport daily, eager to get to work. When work is done, they go home with their handlers and enjoy what most dogs do off of work — sleeping on the couch, going to the beach and eating.

Brute, who lives on leeward Oahu with his handler, Jerry Almoguera, goes swimming and surfing.