TSA asked To Allow Privately Trained Dogs to Screen Cargo

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The U.S. Air forwarders Association told a congressional panel that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) should move toward permitting private contractors to train explosive-sniffing dogs and make them available for use at government-certified cargo screening facilities.

Appearing before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security, AfA board member Chris Connell urged TSA to finalize its efforts to develop a program for private companies to use their own canines, certified to TSA standards, to meet federal air cargo screening mandates, said Air Cargo World.

According to Security presently, TSA permits only the use of the agency’s dogs in cargo screening, and only at on-airport facilities. Connell, who is president of Los Angeles-based freight forwarder Commodity Forwarders, Inc., said enabling the use of private sector dogs will help broaden the security options for freight forwarders who operate off-airport Certified Cargo Screening Facilities, which are supervised by TSA, said Air Cargo World.