In The News
House approves Air Cargo Security Improvement Act
Entitled, H.R. 4176, the Air Cargo Security Improvement Act, this legislation establishes the air cargo security division within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to carry out all air cargo security policy and stakeholder engagement.
Domestic Detection-Dog Breeding Program: It’s Costly, But Makes Plenty of “Scents”
The need is there, but the financial resources, detailed record keeping, and organizational commitment await plenty of discussion and subsequent fine-tuning.
H.R.4577 – Domestic Explosives Detection Canine Capacity Building Act of 2017
This bill directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to establish a working group to determine ways to develop a decentralized domestic canine breeding network to produce high-quality explosives detection canines and modernize canine training standards.
America Is Running Out of Bomb-Sniffing Dogs
If within the past few years you received a package, roamed a shopping mall, boarded a plane, train, ferry or cruise ship, went to a major sporting event, ran a marathon, attended a concert, gambled at a casino or visited a tourist attraction, chances are a dog made sure it was safe for you to do so.
H.R.4693 – Puppy Protection Act of 2017
To amend the Animal Welfare Act to provide for the humane treatment of dogs, and for other purposes.
Bomb Sniffing Dogs Ready for a Privatized TSA
There is a push to privatize the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which some believe will make the agency known for airport security screenings less expensive and more effective.
The Importance of Training Double-Blind in K9 Detection Teams
I’m fortunate enough that I can travel the world visiting various canine programs and talking to trainers with all backgrounds. While our approaches and styles of training may differ, we all share one thing in common: making the world a safer place. The level of importance of this work never escapes me as our dogs are one of the most important “rocks” in our security system. Military and police efforts simply can’t be as effective without the use of dogs, and this goes for detection dogs, as well.
Announcement of Approved Third-Party Canine-Cargo Certifiers, and Start of Certification Events
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has approved the following organizations to assess third-party explosives detection canine teams to determine whether they meet TSA’s standards for screening air cargo. This notice announces the list of approved certifying organizations, and establishes a certification start date of November 1, 2018.
A Solution for the Shortage of Detection Dogs: A Detector Dog Center of Excellence and a Cooperative Breeding Program
Currently, demand for US-bred and born detector dogs exceeds available supply, while reliance on foreign-bred sources introduces many unnecessary and unwanted risks. With proper management of a domestic supply line, U.S. breeders can improve both health and behavior by applying scientific principles to breeding and raising of detector dogs. A cooperative national detector dog breeding and development program will mitigate the current shortage of domestic-bred dogs that meet the health and behavior standards required by government, military, and law enforcement agencies.
MSA Security finds the opportunities 3PK9 will bring
The Third Party Canine Cargo Program (3PK9) will allow third party providers to certified canine teams to screen cargo under the Certified Cargo Screening Program, and MSA Security says demand for well-trained dogs will grow. The New York City-headquartered global security firm, which was founded in 1987, says being able to work in a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) environment will increase demand for the dogs as they are “exponentially” more efficient at screening cargo than traditional methods such as X-ray or trace detection.
TSA approves first canine screening facility
The Transportation Security Administration has approved Global K9 Protection Group (GK9PG) as the first Certified Cargo Screening Facility – Canine (CCSF-K9).
The TSA has made short work of reviewing and approving GK9PG’s Operational Implementation Plan (OIP). With this Letter of Approval, the company’s 25 CCSF-K9 Teams that have successfully completed the required Third-Party Certification will begin operations for GK9PG’s established clients immediately.
TSA announces opportunity to become a certified cargo screening canine
WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on Tuesday in a Federal Register notice that qualified explosives detection canine teams and canine team providers now have the opportunity to become a registered Certified Cargo Screening Facility-Canine (CCSF-K9) under TSA’s Certified Cargo Screening Program-Canine (CCSP-K9). The program fulfills a requirement in the TSA Modernization Act of 2018 to develop standards for the use of third-party canines for air cargo screening, and allows TSA to expand its network of certified screening canines to enhance aviation security.
U.S. Airlines Need More Bomb-Sniffing Dogs in a Hurry
(Bloomberg) — The Transportation Security Administration has begun approving private explosive-detection canine firms to screen cargo flying from U.S. airports under a new program finalized last month. The change offers freight haulers a new option to inspect all of their cargo—something they need to accomplish within the next few years.
Bomb-detection canines have become standard for cargo companies in many parts of Europe and Asia. America, however, is just starting to catch up, said Steve Alterman, president of the Cargo Airline Association. A lot of that freight flying overhead right now hasn’t been screened at all.
LETTER TO SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO REGARDING MISCOUNDUCT AT THE STATE DEPARTMENTS CANINE VALIDATION CENTER.
Federal Whistleblower Raising Questions About K-9s Deployed Overseas
A local federal whistleblower is raising questions about the welfare of K-9s deployed overseas through a State Department program intended to help other countries fight terrorism — complaints that have caught the attention of multiple government oversight officials, News4 has learned. Dr. Karen Iovino, a veterinarian who until 2017 worked for a private contractor that trains the explosive detection K-9s in Virginia, is calling for the U.S. government to impose tougher oversight of the dogs once deployed in the war on terror.
At issue is the State Department’s Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program (ATA), which provides training and equipment to law enforcement agencies in more than 150 countries. As of September 2018, at least 100 explosive detection K-9s have been granted to six partner countries through the ATA program, according to a State Department official.
Intent To Request Revision From OMB of One Current Public Collection of Information: Certified Cargo Screening Standard Security Program
Participants Sought for AKC Pilot Detection Puppy Rearing Program
The AKC Detection Dog Task Force has launched its Pilot Detection Puppy Rearing Program – an opportunity for breeders and owners to work closely with experts on raising dogs that will have the potential to be trained for explosives detection work.
The United States has a serious shortage of qualified dogs to perform the much-needed role of explosives detection dogs. As the number of violent and terrorist acts increase, so does the demand for these elite dogs to protect our country.
11 Things You Should Know About the British Labrador
For 25 years, the Labrador Retriever – or Lab – has remained the most popular dog in America. Known for friendliness, boundless energy, and a big heart, the Lab can make an extraordinary companion. But did you know there are two types of Labradors? The American and the British. While the American Kennel Club (AKC) does not distinguish between American and British Labradors, there are a few distinctions between the two.
For many prospective dog owners – like yourself – you may not have a preference regarding the type of Labrador since a dog’s personality is less related to genetics and more to its environment. However, for those looking for something specific in their pet, breed might be quite important.
Securing the air cargo supply chain
Any air traveler in the United States would recognize U.S. Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration (TSA) inspectors and carry-on screening equipment at airports throughout the country. When it comes to air cargo, that same government entity, the TSA, is also responsible for setting and managing the security programs that keep passengers and cargo aircraft flying safely in the U.S.
But air cargo is very different from passengers. The vast majority of air cargo in the United States comes from companies and organizations whose core business is shipping products and supplies to customers or company locations. They ship every day or multiple times daily and on a variety of airlines. In many cases, there are not only shippers, but also forwarders and truckers involved in the process. And freight comes in all sizes and shapes for screening. Of course, there are also occasional shippers or individuals who have a need to ship packages or even heavier shipments by air. Just like on the passenger side, world events occur and new intelligence on potential threats is gathered that require process changes.
U.S. SPENDS MILLIONS TO TRAIN BOMB-SNIFFING DOGS GIFTED TO ARAB NATIONS THAT ABUSE THEM
The U.S. government spends millions of dollars to train bomb-sniffing dogs essential to federal and local law enforcement capabilities but some are gifted to foreign countries that abuse them, often resulting in the spread of infection and premature death. Many of the American-trained canines are severely underweight, live in squalid conditions and suffer from untreated tick-borne disease because U.S. officials don’t fulfill their duty of assuring the dogs receive proper care. In one disturbing case, a two-year-old Belgian Malinois died of hyperthermia while working at the Syrian border. Another was found emaciated in a Jordanian kennel covered in feces and an empty water bowl.
Evaluation of the Antiterrorism Assistance Explosive Detection Canine Program
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this evaluation in response to an OIG hotline
complaint. The complaint alleged that the Department was providing Explosive Detection
Canines (EDCs) to foreign partner nations without the proper follow-up to ensure they were receiving
adequate healthcare.
Hunting for detection dogs as demand spikes
Well-trained detection dogs can locate drugs, bombs, people buried under rubble, smuggled food, pipeline leaks, game animals, and cancer.
But their versatility, especially for security purposes, is driving a global spike in demand. Dr. Cynthia Otto, executive director of the Penn Vet Working Dog Center at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, said branches of the U.S. military and federal government are having trouble getting ahold of sufficient numbers of dogs to meet their needs.
General Guidelines for Training, Certification, and Documentation of Canine Detection Disciplines
This standard was revised, prepared, and finalized by the Dogs and Sensors Consensus Body of the
AAFS Standards Board. The Dogs and Sensors Subcommittee of the Organization of Scientific Area
Committee (OSAC) determined that initial training, certification, and documentation guidelines
should be established for detection canine disiplines as no industry standards currently exist. This
document is based on the Scientific Working Group on Dog and Orthogonal detector Guidelines
(SWGDOG) approved SWGDOG SC 2 – General Guidelines1.
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NIST: Standards and guidelines for detection dogs:
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ADVANCING PURPOSE BRED DOGS INTO THE MODERN ERA
CANINE BREEDING -
THE BROWNELL-MARSOLAIS SCALE: A PROPOSAL FOR THE QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF SAR/DISASTER K9 CANDIDATES