JUNE 24, 2026
USDA's Beagle Brigade trains scent dogs to intercept prohibited food and agricultural products at U.S. ports of entry
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service operates a canine training facility in Newnan, Georgia, where beagles and Labrador retrievers are trained to detect prohibited agricultural items at airports, cruise terminals, and other ports of entry. The program, now operated by Customs and Border Protection, has grown to 183 handler-and-dog teams. Canine teams were responsible for many of the 1.3 million prohibited items stopped at U.S. borders, according to CBP records.
The USDA's 17-acre training center in Newnan, Georgia — opened in 2009, about 30 miles southwest of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — houses up to 100 dogs at a time and trains canine teams to intercept food and agricultural products that could carry pests or diseases into the country. The facility includes eight training rooms, a mock baggage claim area, a 100-run kennel, and a parking lot used as an olfactory obstacle course for Labrador retrievers assigned to border crossings and cargo facilities.
Beagles are the preferred breed for international arrival terminals because of their compact size, friendly temperament, and strong food drive. Dogs entering the program must demonstrate confidence, adaptability, and social ease around people without being so people-focused that they lose interest in the detection work. They typically enter service between ages one and three and work until approximately age nine, after which most are adopted into private homes.
USDA acquires beagles primarily from animal shelters and rescue groups through a process the agency describes as thorough and humane, noting that many accepted dogs would otherwise have been euthanized. The agency also partners with contracted canine vendors it says adhere to strict ethical standards. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has raised concerns about the general use of working dogs and advocates for technology-based alternatives, though the organization told the Washington Post it does not have specific insights into the USDA program.