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Article: Border dogs protect Valley against agricultural pests.
- Article from:
- The Brownsville Herald (Brownsville, TX)
- Article date:
- July 30, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 The Brownsville Herald. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Melissa Mcever
Jul. 30--HIDALGO -- Coco accomplished his mission in just seconds.
Directed by his handler to inspect a large truck, the dog circles it a quick clip, sniffs at its front grill and sits. His well-trained nose already has picked out the scent of a pear lodged just behind the grill.
No wonder U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers say that using these specially trained dogs makes it easier to find produce and meats that aren't allowed to cross the border.
"(The dogs) can just walk by and pick up the odor of prohibited items," said Felix Garza, spokesman for Customs and Border Protection in the Valley. "We would ...