(Ottawa) An internal assessment by the Canada Border Services Agency suggests its detector dogs could play a greater role in detecting deadly fentanyl and illicit firearms.
The agency has dozens of dogs trained to detect smuggling of currency, drugs, firearms and food, plant and animal products.
A recently released evaluation found that the detector dog service helps reduce threats by effectively intercepting these restricted and prohibited goods at the border.
However, she says the program has played a limited role in detecting contraband firearms.
Additionally, some dog handlers and their handlers have seen a need to train more dogs to intercept fentanyl and precursor chemicals used in the manufacture of these drugs.
The evaluation report recommends further review of the detector dog program and allocation of resources to determine how best to use the animals for law enforcement purposes.