Onward, Beagle Brigade!
It’s time for your Southeast Regional Ag News. On the Ag Information Network, I’m Haylie Shipp.
We are talking “Beagle Brigade” on today’s program…always a fun title. Robbie Minnich, senior government relations representative with the National Cotton Council…
“The Beagle Brigade Act of 2022 was introduced in the Senate by Senator Warnock of Georgia and in the House by (Congressman) Bishop, also of Georgia”
This Act permanently authorizes the Department of Agriculture’s National Detector Dog Training Center. The Beagle Brigade is trained at the center to identify foreign pests and diseases to protect U.S. agriculture…
“Well it’s kind of an interesting act. Those cute little dogs that you see whenever you’re at the airport aren’t just there to make you smile, they’re actually there to sniff out any potential hazards that would be coming into the country.”
And they’re pretty darn good at it….
“At the Center, which is run by the USDA, their primary function is to train these dogs and their custom and border patrol handlers at the Center. And to specifically train them to sniff out potentially contaminated products at U.S. ports of entry and prevent their introduction into the U.S. So they’ve really studied this. The canine detection is actually better than anything else they have used.”
Minnich says that this bill would lay the groundwork for the center and allow for its continued success.
