did you know the united states government has federal agents that are dogs? yep! its true! beagles!! these four legged, furry federal agents been working for the department of agricultures animal and plant health inspection service since 1984. these super sniffers belong to a special group called...
THE BEAGLE BRIGADE
beagles got the job because theyre small, cute, friendly, smart and dont scare people (most people). and… theyre great sniffers.
teams of specially trained beagles and their handlers work at airports, post offices and shipping ports all over the united states. using their super sniffer power they inspect luggage, cargo, mail and vehicles for prohibited fruits, veggies, plants and meats. they dont do drugs. they leave that to the big dogs.
the BEAGLE BRIGADE is americas first line of defense against plant and animal diseases. unauthorized meat, animal byproducts, fruits and vegetables can cary deadly insects, diseases and pests that could infect u.s. agriculture.
the beagles get trained at special schools in orlando florida and newnan georgia. they dont have to learn how to smell cause that comes with having a super sniffer nose. they do have to learn how to know different smells for fruits and veggies and meat. before they start training thay have to pass the touch test. when someone touches or pets them ... no growling and for sure no biting.
once their trained beagles can recognize different smells and can tell the difference between a fruit, veggie or plant thats ok and one thats not. when a BB agent gets a scent of something thats not ok he sits down next to the container and his human partner takes over and talks to the owner and, if necessary, does a search. experienced beagles have a 90% success rate and can recognize nearly 50 distinct smells. wow! how cool is that!
the BEAGLE BRIGADE program averages around 75,000 seizures of prohibited agricultural products a year saving farmers MILLIONS of dollars from things that coud be deadly to their crops and affect their livelihood.
so...whatcha think about these four legged furry federal agents?
(be careful what you say cause the "speagles" [blogger spy beagles] are watching and taking notes)
hooray for THE BEAGLE BRIGADE!
so...whatcha think about these four legged furry federal agents?(be careful what you say cause the "speagles" [blogger spy beagles] are watching and taking notes)
...hugs from lenny
My brother is a K-9 officer, but I had no clue about the Beagle Brigade. That is very, very cool!
ReplyDeleteHow cool! Thanks for sharing, Lenny! :)
ReplyDeleteHuh!! I did not know that. I knew they had dogs for drugs and explosives but this is all news to me.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty amazing. Some dogs--not sure which ones--can sniff a person and know if they have cancer. And the success rate is really high. Dogs are definitely amazing. Thanks for sharing this Lenny.
ReplyDeleteI had a beagle as a kid, and he could always tell when the cookie jar was open. :-)
ReplyDeleteNever knew of the Beagle Brigade, but sure glad they're out there!
I'd heard of dogs who detect drugs and bombs before - but I'd never heard of the beagle brigade. That is very, very cool! As an added bonus they are such adorable dogs - love them!! :) Thanks for sharing - hope all is well in your world!
ReplyDeleteI've heard of sniffer dogs before, but I always associated them with German Shepherds and other large dogs. I'd never heard of the beagle brigade! :) That's awesome.
ReplyDeleteI never knew about the beagle brigade! How awesome to see those friendly little dogs at work! I wonder if they're all named Snoopy. Get it? :D
ReplyDeleteWow! This is very cool! I've never heard of it before, but what a great idea. So can they detect things like e coli? Or is it just fruits, veggies or meat that have spoiled in transit? Either way, it's amazing that they can detect so many things. My brother has a beagle and he jumps up on the dining room table during meals - he cannot be trusted anywhere around food! :)
ReplyDeleteI had no idea beagles were used for this. I expected German Shepherds. Cool to learn something so unexpected.
ReplyDeleteI've heard of this and I think it's amazing! But those speagles make me a little nervous. ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat article, Lenny! I've seen beagles sniffing luggage before, but I thought they were looking for drugs. I'm glad they don't alert security about chocolate in luggage, or I'd be in trouble every time I went to England. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Lenny! I lOVE anything that has to do with dogs!
ReplyDeleteThat is so awesome! Dogs have so many amazing abilities. We're lucky that they can help us like that!
ReplyDeleteI think we should all be grateful for the great work they do. I've seen them at the airport working hard so it's true when you say they're our first line of defense.
ReplyDeleteAnd your research into this is excellent, Lenny! I didn't know how many smells they know how to identify or how high their success rate is but now I do thanks to you.
Big hug,
Jai
Oh my gosh! They are so cute (I know, they are supposed to be tough, but so cute too).
ReplyDeleteWow, Lenny, I had no idea!! What a fun and interesting post. I learned SO MUCH!! Great post. :-)
ReplyDeleteEEEEE, SO cute!!!!!! Nice post!
ReplyDeleteWow, that is so cool, Lenny! I knew about German Shepherds, of course, but not about beagles. Thanks for telling us about the Beagle Brigade. :)
ReplyDeleteI love working dogs! They rock!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I just awarded you a Versatile Blog award and TAGGED you in a fun, short writing game. Pop over to my blog to check it out! Catherine
http://catherinestine.blogspot.com
Dogs are amazing. Their sniffers are just so much more powerful. I've read stories where dogs have even sense a shift in blood sugar levels and saved their diabetic owners from falling into a coma. I mean, how amazing is that?
ReplyDeleteHugs Lenny! Thanks for sharing all this great info! Go Beagles!
Way to go Beagle Brigade! Thanks for sharing all this cool information. Have an awesome week, Lenny!
ReplyDeleteHey Lenny!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's me, Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet star, taking over the keyboard of her human's computer :)
Ah those beagles do an awesome job at all those places making sure everything is okay to help protect us all. And well done for winning those stamps at the party, Lenny!
Very informative posting, my young buddy.
Pawsitive wishes and doggy kisses, Penny xx
I'd heard the name Beagle Brigade before, but I never knew what they did. Who knew they could have the Beagles sniff out harmful imports? I'm amazed at how specific they are! You really did a great job of researching, too. The speagles will be proud:)
ReplyDeleteI actually did know this! Great post!! My family also owned two beagles while I was growing up. Granted, they weren't federal agents, but I loved them!!
ReplyDeleteThat's so amazing that they can tell which foods are prohibited just by sniffing! I am very impressed.
ReplyDeleteDogs are the best!
ReplyDeleteHi Lenny! That's a doggone good post. I learn something new every time I come to your blog. Very cool indeed!
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool, Lenny! I had no idea. Well, I guess you learn something new every day. Thanks for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteVery informative and interesting post, Lenny! Beagles are so cute, and it's fun reading about what they can do. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWOW! That is so interesting, Lenny! Thanks for sharing. :o)
ReplyDeleteHow are you? Sorry I haven't stayed in touch very well lately. Hope you are doing great!
Hugs!
I didn't know about the Beagle Brigade. Thanks for sharing such interesting information! They sure are cute dogs. And smart, too!
ReplyDeleteHave a happy weekend, Lenny! :)
Hey Lenny, I remember reading this post a few weeks ago and it was just as fun reading it again. I hope you're doing well. Take care and big hugs,
ReplyDeleteJai
That is the cutest thing ever. Beagles are adorable, and so talented too!
ReplyDelete