Border security

Increase in canine explosives detection training seen needed amid rise in passenger travel

Currently, the United States can purchase a 14-month-old dog from overseas for approximately $6,000 (although that amount does not include screening, training, etc.), but there is no way to confirm the dog’s age or health. The cost to produce an American-bred dog at 14 months that is ready for training is $36,000, according to testimony from Cynthia Otto, executive director of Penn Vet Working Dog Center.

However, Rogers says the benefits of a domestic program far outweigh the costs. “A properly trained and handled canine is more capable, more flexible and more mobile than any mechanical explosives detection screening device used by DHS.” He adds, “Properly trained canines avoid many of the privacy issues created by body scanners and other sensor systems.”

With so much at stake, Rogers says cooperation is essential. “I believe that TSA has a duty to work with academia and industry to employ the latest sound veterinary science and make its procurement process accessible to American canine breeders.”

Waggoner agrees that the cost of training those dogs must be weighed against the benefit to national security that they provide. However, Waggoner concludes, “I believe that the cost of using very capable dogs paired with very capable handlers is miniscule in relation to the total investment in security technologies especially when put in the context of the amazing detection capabilities of dogs.”