Beagle Brigade Act officially establishes USDA’s National Detector Dog training Center
(ABC 6 News) — A bipartisan piece of legislation led by Iowa Senator Joni Ernst (R) officially established the USDA’s National Detector Dog Training Center in Georgia by codifying the training program into law.
The Beagle Brigade is made up of beagles and other breeds of dogs which work alongside U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to stop any prohibited agricultural items from entering the nation at major ports of entry.
Funding from the act will go to training the dogs, care of the dogs and making sure the center can consistently be putting new detector dogs into the field.
Senator Ernst said these dogs are crucial in keeping the nation’s crops and live stock safe from diseases and invasive pests, which could otherwise have a massive impact on the nation’s agriculture.
“We want to prevent the spread of disease that would infect our own animals, our own agricultural products in Iowa,” Ernst said.
The Act will also require the USDA to give a report to Congress on any emerging threats to agriculture and recommend improvements on keeping disease out.