Hardy, a beagle employed by Customs inspectors at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, poses with the pig head he sniffed out in the checked luggage of a traveler arriving from Ecuador. Photo by U.S. Customs and Border Protection
The nearly 2-pound pig head was destroyed by authorities.
"Our best defense against destructive pests and animal diseases is to prevent the entry of prohibited agriculture products from entering the United States," said Carey Davis, CBP area port director for the Port of Atlanta. "This seizure at ATL illustrate the tremendous expertise of our four-legged K-9 partners in protecting the United States."
Customs said pork products are banned from being transported to the United States from other continents as they could carry animal diseases including Foot and Mouth Disease, Classical Swine Fever and Swine Vesicular Disease.
