Beagle Brigade to the Rescue

Going to New Zealand is a long trip. After fourteen hours flying (and having lost an entire day - due to crossing the International Date Line) I arrived in Aukland, New Zealand, anxious to get to a hotel and shower. The Kiwi airport security had other plans. It seems the Kiwis are very particular about what people bring into their lovely country.

There are cute little beagles on leashes, with identification that proves them to be police dogs. They belong to the MAF force - a company of dogs whose job it is to sniff out unwanted substances. MAF employs beagles as part of the "Beagle Brigade," a band of canines trained to sniff out substances in public. Beagles are among the world's best sniffers, and can find traces of banana in a bag long after the banana was eaten. I can testify. New Zealand's Quaratine Service keeps a strict watch over the rare native species in their isolated nation. Good thing, too. New Zealand is home to many plants and animals found no place else in the world.