Photo: CBP.gov
Who’s a good boy? Hardy the Beagle, a 6-year-old rescue working with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) is being praised online after intercepting a roasted pig head, as it was about to enter into the U.S. from Ecuador.
Before you laugh at Hardy’s accomplishment, you should probably know that it’s illegal to bring meat or meat products from other continents into the U.S., as agriculture specialists with the CBP make it clear in a statement on the official page. So yes, Hardy and his finely-tuned nose actually served his country well with his interception at one of the world’s busiest airports, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL).
Apparently, a man flying from Ecuador had checked one piece of luggage before he boarded a plane to the U.S. Hardy tracked it down and alerted the officers, who found the pig head inside. It weighed about 2 pounds and, once collected, it was immediately destroyed.
The report doesn’t say whether the passenger got into further trouble for this, but it’s safe to say he should have known he mustn’t pack pig heads into his suitcase before boarding any plane, no matter the destination.
“Our best defense against destructive pests and animal diseases is to prevent the entry of prohibited agriculture products from entering the United States,” Carey Davis, CBP Area Port Director for the Port of Atlanta, says. “This seizure at ATL illustrate the tremendous expertise of our four-legged K-9 partners in protecting the United States.”
Hardy is part of the “Beagle Brigade” from the CBP. He’s been with them since 2015, when he completed training with the Department of Agriculture.
As part of his training, he can intercept drugs, but also other illegal items, like meat, fruit or vegetables. “Pork and pork products from other continents are prohibited from entry into the U.S. to prevent the potential introduction of foreign animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, Classical Swine Fever, and Swine Vesicular Disease,” the CBP says. “When entering into the U.S. every fruit, vegetable or food products must be declared to a CBP agriculture specialist or CBP officer and must be presented for inspection – regardless of origin.”
Apparently, a man flying from Ecuador had checked one piece of luggage before he boarded a plane to the U.S. Hardy tracked it down and alerted the officers, who found the pig head inside. It weighed about 2 pounds and, once collected, it was immediately destroyed.
The report doesn’t say whether the passenger got into further trouble for this, but it’s safe to say he should have known he mustn’t pack pig heads into his suitcase before boarding any plane, no matter the destination.
“Our best defense against destructive pests and animal diseases is to prevent the entry of prohibited agriculture products from entering the United States,” Carey Davis, CBP Area Port Director for the Port of Atlanta, says. “This seizure at ATL illustrate the tremendous expertise of our four-legged K-9 partners in protecting the United States.”
Hardy is part of the “Beagle Brigade” from the CBP. He’s been with them since 2015, when he completed training with the Department of Agriculture.
As part of his training, he can intercept drugs, but also other illegal items, like meat, fruit or vegetables. “Pork and pork products from other continents are prohibited from entry into the U.S. to prevent the potential introduction of foreign animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease, Classical Swine Fever, and Swine Vesicular Disease,” the CBP says. “When entering into the U.S. every fruit, vegetable or food products must be declared to a CBP agriculture specialist or CBP officer and must be presented for inspection – regardless of origin.”
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