Some of NZ's airports can certainly claim to have the cutest little crime fighters around. Don't be taken in by those puppy dog eyes however - if you happen to be harbouring a forgotten apple or trying to bring your pet hamster for a visit, our expertly trained detector dogs will sniff you out. These clever little beagles and their handlers are on the hunt for any item that poses a risk to NZ's agriculture such as foreign plant or animal material.
Internationally, dogs have been used to detect various substances since the 1960s, from firearms to bodies. Detection work is traditionally done with large dogs and away from the public eye. The United States Department of Agriculture initiated the 'Beagle Brigade' in 1984, using these small people-friendly dogs to work alongside the public at international airports. Beagles are excellent scent dogs and are popular with the public, making them great ambassadors for the protection of our borders.
New Zealand had its first two beagle and handler teams up and running at Auckland Airport in 1996. There are now 35 teams across the country with five more to be operational by July. This allows most international flights coming into the country to be monitored for biosecurity risk and small airports covered when needed. International mail centres and ports are also subjected to the sniff test.
Accuracy is high with most dogs achieving 90 per cent detection rate on their validation test and trainers say they can get 100 per cent with the right dog and handler combination.
Training starts early for MPI beagles and the smaller number of Labrador detector dogs bred at the National Training Centre in Auckland. For the first eight weeks of their lives they are introduced to different sights and sounds, as well as being well socialized and even given a daily massage.
