REP LIEU BOOSTS K9 DETECTION PROGRAM TO CURB ILLEGAL ANIMAL TRAFFICKING

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after his amendment supporting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Wildlife Detector Dog Program passed the House as a part of an appropriations package. The program is a part of a national effort to combat illegal wildlife trafficking. Participating dogs are trained to detect the scents of a variety of wildlife products that may be illegal to import or sell in the United States such as elephant ivories, sea turtle skins, dried seahorses, python skins, and rhino horns.

"I am grateful to Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Lowey and Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman McCollum for helping to include this provision in today's appropriations package, and I would like to thank my colleagues for supporting this bipartisan amendment. Dedicating more resources to this program sends a strong message to illegal wildlife traffickers that we take this issue seriously. Working dogs have a long history of helping our law enforcement officials detect illegal substances and keep people safe. With the Wildlife Detector Dog Program, our furry friends are helping to curb illegal importation of wildlife products, and deter the black market sales of these goods in the U.S."

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