SAG enhances health surveillance with new detection dogs donated by ChilePork

The Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) has taken a new step forward in protecting Chile’s health status with the addition of two detection dogs donated by the Chilean pork and poultry industry. The initiative, which is part of a broader public-private collaboration strategy, strengthens SAG’s capabilities to detect diseases, pests, and other pathogens that could threaten Chile’s agricultural and livestock production.

In a ceremony held at the SAG Canine Brigade at Santiago International Airport, SAG’s National Director, José Guajardo, introduced Morro and Ross, two five-month-old Labradors that join 13 other dogs that ChileCarne has donated to the brigade in recent years and that will be part of the group of 50 that the agency uses in operations throughout the country. “The addition of these puppies is key to prevent the entry of diseases, viruses, bacteria, or plants that could compromise our national health status,” Guajardo said. He also underscored the importance of collaborating with the private sector, noting that these joint efforts help increase the number of available detection dogs directly improve surveillance at the country’s borders and entry points.

The donation is part of ChileCarne’s ongoing effort to bring together the country’s main pork and poultry exporters to safeguard Chile’s biosecurity asset. Juan Carlos Domínguez, President of the Association highlighted: “Although we have natural barriers such as the Andes, the desert, the ocean, and the ice, we cannot rely solely on these geographic defenses. SAG’s work at our borders is essential to prevent the entry of diseases and has been key to Chile’s position as a world powerhouse in food exports. It is our duty as a private sector to support and strengthen this work.”

Chile’s health status has become one of the country’s main competitive advantages in the global food market, particularly for pork exports. Since 2019, ChileCarne and the pork and poultry industry have worked closely with SAG through a working table dedicated to identifying and mitigate the highest risks of diseases entering the country. This includes preventive measures both at the borders and the companies’ internal operation, ensuring that the industry remains disease-free.

New members of the canine brigade are subject to thorough and demanding training. For three months, Morro and Ross will learn to identify more than 40 scents specific to high-risk products, such as fruit, meat, and other items that could carry pests or diseases harmful to Chile’s agriculture. The rigorous training program is structured around three key phases: basic retrieval, where dogs associate specific scents with rewards in a controlled environment; targeted retrieval, where they identify those scents in more complex and varied situations, such as luggage and vehicles; and finally, detection simulation, which prepares them to face real work scenarios at border crossings, ensuring that they are fully trained to detect and flag risk products in any context.

Once their training is completed, Morro and Ross will join the other members of SAG’s canine brigade, which since 2005 has been an essential line of defense at the country’s points of entry, such as airports, ports, and land border crossings. With an effectiveness of over 80%, these detection dogs can inspect quickly and accurately, ensuring that no unauthorized products cross Chilean borders.