Eric Church told us in his song “Before She Does” way back in 2006 that he believes dogs are better than cats.
And it turns out that man’s best friend may have saved his Gather Again Tour from being cancelled like so many others have been this year.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Chief has been using COVID-sniffing dogs to screen his band, roadies and local crew members before every show.
If the specially-trained canines, named Alex and Timmy, alert on somebody as being positive, the crew member is then required to take a test before continuing to work.
It’s a safety measure that Church’s tour manager, Todd Bunch, said has “probably saved the tour.”
The dogs are from Bio Detection K9, a company that provides dogs trained to sniff out COVID cases, and evidence has shown that they’re more accurate than even rapid tests.
Oh, and it’s also cheaper than paying for 200 tests before every show.
COVID-sniffing dogs have also been used at NASCAR races to screen essential personnel as they enter the garage area.
The company says this is their first concert tour, but after seeing it work for Church and his crew, other tours are beginning to show interest in the furry COVID detectors.
Church has been a big proponent of vaccines, even appearing in Billboard magazine getting the vaccine himself. But he understands that some people may not feel the same, so while he encouraged his own crew to get vaccinated, he didn’t require it.
He’s also not requiring any COVID restrictions for fans (beyond those required by the venue or local ordinances).
Despite the rigorous safety protocols for his band and crew, two of his band members tested positive for COVID last month, which resulted in Eric playing two solo acoustic shows – with some help from guests Cam and Morgan Wallen.
