Bomb sniffer dogs in the United States are disappearing

Also, programs like the Patriotic Puppy Program of the American Kennel Club are seeking to educate existing breeders on the requirements and criteria needed to specifically focus on explosives detection dogs. However, progress will be gradual and it will take years to see the first fruits. “I wish we were far ahead, but the pandemic has slowed down research and all programsi – said Otto a Wired US –. It has limited the influx of specimens from overseas and slowed progress towards alternatives. It was a bad blow“. In October, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report of nearly a hundred pages on working dogs and the need for them federal agencies better protect their health and well-being. According to the Gao, the US federal government had about 5,100 working dogs, including ordnance detection dogs, distributed across three federal agencies as of February. 420 more dogs”they served the federal government in twenty-four contractor-managed programs within eight departments and two independent agencies”, reads the report.

The document also underlines the potential work overload in cases where there are not enough specimens available. “Dogs may need to suddenly run fast, or jump a high barrier, as well as the physical stamina to walk all day – continues the report–. They may have to scavenge through rubble or harsh environmental conditions, such as extreme heat or cold, often wearing heavy armor. They could also spend the day detecting specific odors among thousands of others, an activity that requires great concentration. Each function requires dogs to undergo specialized trainingWith pandemic-imposed restrictions lifted, US institutions are scrambling to make up for lost time on two equally important fronts: the development of procedures for obtaining suitable bomb-sniffing dogs and the breeding of puppies.

Auburn University focuses on the former. “We were lucky in Auburn that the pandemic didn’t force us to stop research altogether, but we did suffer from scheduling issues, supply chain issues, all those things that slow the pace of progress – explains Skip Bartoloassociate dean of Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine –. There is no roadmap yet to a definitive solution for the national sourcing of detection dogs, but what we are trying to do is establish scientific best practices, from correct genetic decisions on detection dog breeding up to the development of puppies passing through how the initial environment affects their potential for life“.

Procurement and husbandry issues during the pandemic mean that the population of bomb-sniffing dogs in use in the United States right now may be aging and being over-exploited even more than usual. The result is that the country is still heavily dependent on the supply of foreign explosives detection dogs. As Otto points out, “is a combination of factors, but surely there is still mostly unmet demand“.

This article originally appeared on Wired US.