Send in the Beagles!

Snoopy's pals help detect illegal imports

If you've ever gone abroad, you know you're not allowed to bring back some agricultural products and plants into the United States. You probably figured some snarling attack dog would be used to sniff out the contraband to detect lawbreakers and prevent import of pests.

Well, that's not quite right. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Inspection Service uses beagles for the task. The animals have an acute sense of smell and a gentle nature, the agency says.

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