Customs has always required discernment. A wet nose merely improves the odds.
Alberta has added Jane and Winnie to its Conservation K-9 unit, joining Hilo, a veteran of more than a decade, in inspecting boats, docks and shorelines for invasive mussels. The dogs are trained to detect the scent, sit when they find it and indicate the precise location with their noses.
Jane is a black Labrador named for Jane Goodall. Winnie began life in a Kansas shelter and is named for Lake Winnipeg. Hilo, one imagines, now handles orientation.
The province has intercepted six contaminated watercraft this year. Its canine officers receive no salary beyond a favored toy and the quiet satisfaction of having understood the assignment.
Border security has rarely looked so pleased with itself.
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