Bipartisan acceptance of the need to strengthen protection of U.S. producers from exotic pests and disease, the Beagle Brigade Bill will now permanently fund the National Detection Dog Training Center in Newnan, GA. 

EGG-NEWS has commented frequently on the need to expand the Beagle Brigade as it represents the first line of defense against introduction of potentially infected agricultural products at airports and harbors. Smuggling is either deliberate by criminals or inadvertent by travelers.  At present, the risk of introduction of African swine fever from the Caribbean, Africa and Europe is a constant threat.

Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), co-sponsor of the Bill, stated, “We need all hands and paws on deck to keep our agriculture community safe from foreign animal diseases.”  She added, “The Beagle Brigade is essential to sniffing out items that may harbor threats, stopping them before they can endanger our farms and food supply.