Nine-year-old beagle Dalton, the last remaining member of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine’s first dog detector team, established in 2002, is set to formally retire Aug. 4 after nearly eight years of service.
Dalton ended his career on a high note Tuesday, sniffing out 1.5 kilograms of plants requiring inspection that were being carried in the luggage of a couple who arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport as part of a tour group from Japan. He also detected some uneaten fruit brought into the country in the backpack of another female member of the tour group.
At the tender age of two, Dalton was one of three dogs selected to form the bureau’s first plant and inspection sniffer dog team after undergoing training at a U.S. Department of Agriculture facility in Orlando, Florida. The other two members of the team, Lucas and Jake, have already been long retired from service.
Dalton made headlines in Taiwan in July 2008 when he fractured his right front leg when it got caught in a gap in a conveyor belt while he was sniffing luggage at Taipei City’s Songshan Airport shortly after the launch of direct cross-strait chartered flight services. He underwent two surgeries over a six-month period and was only brought back into service in March 2009 after a formal review.
During his career, Dalton has successfully sniffed out more than 20,000 kilograms of contraband plants and animals at the border. On his last day on duty, his handler Wang Chen-li bent the rules somewhat by rewarding him with extra treats and hugs for performing his job so well.
Talking about Dalton’s personality, Wang said, “He likes to eat and move around a lot just like any other dog does. But as soon as his shift starts, he gets right down to working hard.” (SB)