‘Beagle Brigade’ Helps Protect American Ag at Our Borders
Detector dogs have the ability to single out and target specific odors, making them an invaluable tool in detecting prohibited agricultural items hidden from view.
Many people may not know that nearly 200 detector dogs help keep prohibited fruit, vegetables, plants and meat products from high-risk countries from entering the United States.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a detector dog can scan a piece of luggage for smuggled or forgotten fruits in mere seconds — making them a key tool for screening passengers and cargo to prevent harmful plant pests and foreign animal disease from entering the country.
Earlier this year at the Philadelphia airport, a beagle named Harrie sniffed out 23 pounds of produce in an Italian family’s baggage, which posed a threat to Florida’s citrus crop economy where they were heading.
In 1984, the U.S. Department of Agriculture established its detector dog program called the “Beagle Brigade” at the Los Angeles International Airport. The program started with one beagle, trained to sniff out plants and animal products in luggage and carry-on items arriving on international flights.
Beagles and beagle mixes are the preferred breed of dog, according to CBP, because of their keen sense of smell, non-threatening size, high food drive and gentle disposition with the public.
Today, the agriculture canine program consists of around 185 teams.
Joe Scheele, California Agriculture Liaison for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said the beagle teams are their “most important asset that is seen by the public,” but they are not the only part of the canine team.
“We also have large breeds that will work the warehouses, mail facilities and also work at our international borders, because they can get into cars and move through,” Scheele said.
Scheele said that the detector dogs have to be food-driven animals, which he said (suprisingly) all dogs are not.
Before they can be trained, the dogs are tested for temperament and to make sure they can detect five basic scents: pork, beef, citrus, mango and apple.
There are between 75 to 85 different unique scents a detector dog can pick up on, said Scheele, and dogs smell in layers.
Source: