Retired Detector Dog Drake
and Dog Handler Ted Olsen
San Diego County
Source: CDFA
On August 2, 2013, County of San Diego Agricultural Detector Dog Drake was alerted to a home box shipped from South Carolina. The box stated “live plants” and was pulled aside by County of San Diego Agricultural Inspectors Ted Olsen and Jaime Garza for further inspection. The box contained a potted Coffea arabica (coffee plant) in soil and had certification for burrowing and reniform nematode, Japanese beetle, and imported fire ant. Hundreds of soft scale insects were observed on the stems and leaves of the coffee plant. The sender was notified of the infestation on their shipment and the coffee plant was destroyed.
CA Dog Teams
CDFA TV
Dozer The Detector Dog Helps Keep Mail Pests Away From Yolo County Agriculture
Unwanted pests hitching a ride in the mail are a threat to California's billion-dollar agriculture, but they're no match for Dozer the Detector Dog. (CBS 13) (1:41)
Meet Dozer, Agriculture-Detector Dog
The latest weapon against pests threatening California’s $2 billion agriculture business is Dozer, a canine trained to sniff out fruit insects (03:32)
Good Day Sacramento: Dozer - Food & Agriculture Detector Dog
Cody Stark meets "Dozer," a dog trained to protect California agriculture from plant pests and diseases by detecting undeclared plant material and insects in packages. (03:26)
Every Day is Friday for this Detector Dog
Friday was forced into retirement at the age of nine, but she's not ready to give up sniffing boxes. She now lives with her handler, Jeremy Partch, where she's learning how to be...a pet. (2:52)
Detector Dogs Stop Plant Pests
Canine inspectors at shipping facilities and airport terminals from Sacramento to San Diego detect undeclared produce and plants in packages, to prevent the introduction of invasive plant pests into California. (02:46)