At airports, borders, or during street checks, specially trained dogs are often deployed. But what happens to the furry companions who don’t pass the test to become specialized dogs and are sorted out? An agency in the United States makes these dogs available for adoption.
For trainers, they mean a lot of work, officers love them, and criminals fear their abilities—specialized dogs work all over the world in various fields, enhancing security in many places. This includes the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
In a special program, dogs are trained for various purposes and then serve the agency for years. The officers deploy these furry companions as explosive detection dogs at airports or use them to search for drugs in vehicles.
Discarded specialized dogs can be adopted
The training of these dogs often takes several months, and only certain dogs are even admitted. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration specializes in particularly athletic breeds for its field and prefers Labrador Retrievers, German Shorthairs, German Shepherds, and Belgian Malinois, as reported by the officers on their website.
However, despite careful selection and seemingly promising canine candidates, not all of them make it into the job. Some dogs prove unsuitable during training, suffer an injury during a mission, or develop allergies that render them unfit for duty. The agency then retires these dogs from service and officially makes them available for adoption.
Police sets strict requirements
The officers, however, don’t just let their wards be picked up and adopted from an animal shelter. They want to determine for themselves where their specialized dogs end up and therefore set a whole series of requirements for potential adopters. Prospective owners must always travel to the dogs’ training facility in San Antonio, Texas, to get to know the animals.
In addition, owners must have a fenced yard, cannot move within the first six months after adoption, and must sign an agreement to comply with all U.S. pet regulations and provide the animal with appropriate medical care, exercise, training, and companionship.
Interested individuals can send an email to the agency in advance to inquire about available dogs before making the trip to Texas. In their new homes, the specialized dogs, usually between two and four years old, can then lead a peaceful life away from official duties.
