CHANTILLY, Va. 鈥� Not all police dogs are big and scary.
While looking into the issue of cash smuggling at Dulles International Airport, we met Calan, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection beagle.
He wears an official Field Operations vest, and he鈥檚 often mistaken for a dog who sniffs out bombs or drugs.
Travelers at first 鈥渉ave no idea what this little dog is doing,鈥� says handler Kristi Currier, 鈥渁nd they say 鈥業鈥檓 so surprised a drug dog is so small鈥� 鈥� and of course he鈥檚 not a drug dog.鈥�
Currier is an agriculture specialist, and Calan is an agriculture canine. He sniffs for about 60 different odors that could be plants or foods.
As many dog owners know, small dogs have their advantages: They鈥檙e more portable than larger dogs; they eat less food, and they make smaller messes. But there is a reason they鈥檙e not used for sniffing out more dangerous items.
鈥淭hat drug dog often is right there to protect an officer if there is a situation,鈥� Currier says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have that problem. People are pretty understanding.鈥�
First Line Supervisory Officer Christopher Downing says dogs like Calan do a simple but crucial job.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to protect the ecosystem of the United States,鈥� he says.
