Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to search

Help for those affected by flood

Visit nema.gov.au.

Close
Home

Top navigation main

  • News & media
  • Jobs
  • Minister
  • Contact us
Main menu

AWE Main

  • Agriculture and land
    Agriculture and land Building stronger and more sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land care.
    • Animal health
    • Farming, food and drought
    • Fisheries
    • Forestry
    • Climate change and agriculture
    • Plant health
    • Drought and rural support
    • Mouse infestation advice
    Xylella

    Protect against unwanted plant pests

    Our biosecurity system helps protects us. Everyone has a role in supporting our biosecurity system.

    Find out more

  • Biosecurity and trade
    Biosecurity and trade Lowering biosecurity risks to Australia, and assisting industry to accelerate growth towards a $100 billion agricultural sector by 2030.
    • Aircraft, vessels and military
    • Biosecurity policy
    • Cats and dogs
    • Exporting
    • Importing
    • Pests, diseases and weeds
    • Public awareness and education
    • Trade and market access
    • Travelling or sending goods to Australia
    Brown marmorated stink bug

    BMSB Seasonal Measures

    Australia has strengthened seasonal measures to manage the risk of BMSB.

    View our seasonal measures

  • Science and research
    Science and research Undertaking research and collecting data to support informed decisions and policies.
    • Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES)
    • Our science strategy
    Abares

    ABARES Insights

    Get 'snapshots’ of agricultural, forestry and fisheries industries, or analysis of key issues.

    Find out more

  • About us
    About us We enhance our agricultural industries and trade, and manage the threat of biosecurity risks to Australia.
    • Accountability and reporting
    • Assistance, grants and tenders
    • Contact us
    • Fees and charges
    • News and media
    • Our commitment to you
    • Payments
    • People and jobs
    • Publications
    • What we do
    • Who we are
    Read more about our Budget

    Budget October 2022-23

    The 2022–23 October Portfolio Budget Statements were released on 25 October 2022.

    Find out more

  • Online services
    Online services We do business with you using online platforms. This makes it easier for you to meet your legal requirements.
Department of Agriculture

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. About us
  3. News and media
  4. Pawsome detector dog achievements in 2019

Back to news - AWE

  • Back to news

Pawsome detector dog achievements in 2019

  • Media release
  • Biosecurity
  • Detection
5 March 2020

Australia’s biosecurity detector dogs continued their outstanding work last year, screening incoming passengers and goods for biosecurity risk items at airports, mail centres and sea ports.

Head of Biosecurity at the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Lyn O’Connell, said detector dogs are a vital part of Australia’s frontline defence against pests and diseases.

“Our detector dogs were a howling success again last year, intercepting more than 56,000 biosecurity risk items across our airports and mail centres,” Ms O’Connell said.

“Any of these items could have carried a pest or disease that could impact on our industries, environment, plant, animal and human health.

“One of the more interesting dog finds included chicken eggs containing formed embryos that were concealed in a bag of peanuts and fish stuffed with pork meat

“Over 4,000 undeclared meat products were also detected by our detector dog fleet last year, including 1,800 undeclared pork products.

“These products are a significant risk, because they can carry African swine fever (ASF), which has the potential to ruin our pork industry. 

“In 2019-20 we have also seen three visa cancellations for serious breaches of Australian biosecurity laws, all thanks to referrals from our biosecurity detector dogs.

“To help manage seasonal or emerging pest and disease risks, we are looking at ways to modernise the detector dog fleet.

“For instance, in Brisbane we have trialled the use of detector dogs for the screening of imported cars to detect brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), which is a significant horticultural pest. 

“In 2019 we deployed dogs to Cairns and Darwin in response to the rising risk of ASF and we also increased screening at other airports and mail centres.

“With risks like ASF and BMSB on the move globally, the dogs will continue to play a vital role in managing the significant biosecurity threats Australia faces.”

Key facts and stats

  • detector dogs find up to 9,000 biosecurity risk items during their working life
  • The three most common items the detector dogs find are meat, fruit and seeds
  • There are currently 43 biosecurity detector dogs working for the department, including 39 operational detector dogs and 4 novice dogs
  • Last year, one of the most significant detector dog finds for one passenger included:
    • 855 grams of sausage
    • 1.5kgs of duck,
    • 430 grams of dumpling,
    • 375 grams of eggplant,
    • 4.9kgs grams of fresh lotus,
    • 440 grams of beans,
    • 250 grams of tofu and two boiled eggs
  • Detector Dog Parker in Adelaide made the most airport seizures in 2019, which also resulted in the most number of infringements issued at 132

For more information and to view the department’s detector dog video, visit agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity/australia/detector-dogs

PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Copy link

Contact us

Agriculture:

media@agriculture.gov.au

(61 2) 6272 3232

Related

Decorative image

Biosecurity’s Top Dog of 2022

  • Media release
  • Biosecurity
19 January 2023
Image of a detector dog examining packages on a conveyor belt

Be biosecurity aware this Lunar New Year

  • Media release
  • Biosecurity
16 January 2023
Imported cats and dogs

Release of rabies risk review

  • Statement
  • Animals
12 January 2023
Thanks for your feedback.
Thanks! Your feedback has been submitted.

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Please verify that you are not a robot.

Skip

Footer

  • Contact us
  • Accessibility
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • FOI
Last updated: 09 May 2022

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.