The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) commends President Biden for signing into law the Beagle Brigade Act, which provides statutory authority and reliable funding to the National Detector Dog Training Center.
“Pork producers employ a variety of biosecurity measures to keep foreign animal diseases, like African swine fever, out of our herds. Further away at our nation’s ports of entry, the Beagle Brigade helps ensure these diseases don’t travel past our borders,” Lori Stevermer, NPPC president and pork producer from Easton, Minn., said in a release.
Beagles and other dogs are trained by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to spot contraband fruits, vegetables and meat products in international passenger baggage, mailed packages and vehicles entering the U.S. at U.S. ports of entry.
The “Beagle Brigade” agriculture canine teams bolster national security by performing critically important inspections at ports of entry, NPPC said in a release.
“As pork producers, we are grateful the Beagle Brigade Act will continue to keep our food supply safe and more secure for everyone,” Stevermer said. “We thank Senators Warnock and Ernst and Congressmen Bishop and Ferguson for their leadership on this legislation.”
NPPC led a coalition of 50+ groups in pressing Congress to pass this bipartisan legislation, the organization noted in a release.
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