In the battle against the import of foot-and-mouth disease, Rookie is one of Canada’s front-line heroes.
The six-year-old Beagle works at Montreal’s Dorval airport, checking passengers and their luggage from overseas flights for food or other potential disease carriers.
His nose is so keen that no food, soil or other carriers get through. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency sniffer dog identifies the source of the import, puts his paw on it and waits for customs handler Barbara Beattie to deal with the offender.
Last week, Rookie was featured at a government announcement of an education campaign to convince travelers to be honest in what they report and to be vigilant in their responsibility for not moving the disease around.
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Agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief, along with inspection officials and Air Canada representative Steve Markey, unveiled a new public service announcement to be featured on all flights, reminding travelers about the dangers of foot-and-mouth, and their obligation to be part of the protection system.
Vanclief told a May 9 news conference at the Ottawa international airport that Great Britain has made an extraordinary effort to control its devastating foot-and-mouth outbreak.
Yet Canada must continue to be vigilant as it heads into the summer tourist season when millions travel to Canada, many from Europe.
Farmers, veterinarians, border customs agents and travelers all have an obligation to be cautious in watching for the disease.
“We cannot be complacent,” Vanclief said.
“The intensity of this has raised all of our awareness.”
He pledged that the government will make available the resources needed to monitor and to fight import of the disease because “it will take a lot more resources if it doesn’t work.”
Beattie, a customs officer on the front line, said it is a constant struggle to match wits with travelers determined to smuggle food into the country.
Beattie said she and Rookie have been working 15-hour days since the disease broke out in Great Britain. They often check 1,500 people each day.
“It blows your mind how people try to get around the system.”
People lie about what they are trying to bring into the country and then try to brazen their way through when they are found out. When they get caught out by a vigilant sniffer dog like Rookie, one of only six in the country, they sometimes try to run.
“Sometimes, they tell me straight-faced that they have nothing to declare and Rookie is sitting there telling me, ‘don’t believe them, there’s something in this bag.’ “
The government has a system of fines for travelers who lie at customs. It starts at $200, which is cut in half if it is paid immediately. It can be raised to $500 for more serious offences.
Susanne Frost, head of enforcement for the inspection agency, said 400 travelers were charged in February, the last month of statistics, because they tried to sneak suspect material past customs.
