The Transport Security Administration has a freeze on credit card purchases for its bomb-sniffing dogs, TSA confirmed to 404 Media on Friday. The statement follows the leak of an alleged internal email which said TSA was cutting off requests for dog food and vet visits.
A TSA spokesperson told 404 Media: “Our heroic canines are happy, healthy, and funded. Credit card purchases have been restricted for 30 days, but Canine operations have NOT been adversely affected by this effort.”
This program, called the National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program, is administered by the TSA, and “trains and deploys both TSA-led and state and local law enforcement-led canine teams in support of day-to-day activities that protect the transportation domain,” according to the program’s website.
I contacted TSA for comment after Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin posted of a computer screen showing an email seemingly directed at TSA personnel on Friday. The email she posted said:
“Subject: NEW GUIDANCE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY!
Importance: High
Good morning all,
As of the moment, ALL requests for everything to include (Vet visits, kenneling, dog food, etc…) have been put on hold until we receive further guidance. I apologize for the confusion, but due to new guidance sent out last night, nothing is being approved at this time. Once I receive an update, I will be sure to share with all of you.”
404 Media hasn’t independently verified the email’s contents, but the TSA’s response to our request for comment about it confirms that there is a freeze on credit cards. The TSA spokesperson didn’t clarify whether these were Department of Government Efficiency-related (DOGE) cuts, and the allegedly internal email Griffin posted doesn’t mention DOGE, but Elon Musk’s department has been busy making poorly-coded and insecure websites, dodging FOIA, gutting national parks resources, bringing in HR consultants to “redefine” DEI consistent with Christianity, demanding federal workers list their weeks out in bullet points, and generally sowing chaos all over the federal government with layoffs and budget cuts.
Yesterday was “National K9 Veterans Day.” The official White House account on X posted with a photo of President Donald Trump next to a dog: “Happy K9 Veterans Day to all of our heroic working dogs, including Conan who fearlessly participated in the military operation that ended ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019.”
