NPPC Urges Quick Passage of the Beagle Brigade Act of 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 10, 2023 —The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) applauds the reintroduction of the Beagle Brigade Act of 2023. This legislation would provide congressional authority to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Detector Dog Training Center — a vital program in training agricultural canine teams that work daily to prevent foreign animal and plant diseases from entering the United States.

“Safe and reliable food production is critical to the United States’ continued national and economic security,” said Terry Wolters, NPPC president and owner of Stoney Creek Farms in Pipestone, Minnesota. “As African swine fever continues to plague the Dominican Republic and Haiti, strengthening early detection capabilities at our U.S. borders is more important than ever.”

The “Beagle Brigade” serves as the first line of defense for early detection at the nation’s ports of entry and is critical in keeping foreign animal diseases, like African swine fever, out of the United States. NPPC led over 50 agricultural and other organizations in supporting the Beagle Brigade Act’s reintroduction and urges Congress to pass this bipartisan bill.

“We urge Congress to act fast and we thank Representatives Sandford Bishop (D-GA) and Drew Ferguson (R-GA) in the House and Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) in the Senate for their bipartisan efforts,” said Wolters.