Border dogs now sniffing chemicals

[petnews]

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. (June 12, 2003) -- Truck drivers will notice an increase of specially trained sniffing dogs at some main Canada -U.S. border crossings -- and they're not looking for narcotics.

The U.S. has deployed teams of chemical detector K-9 units, known as chem dogs, to sniff out deadly chemical weapons being smuggled into the U.S. in truck trailers, tankers and other containers. The dogs, already in use at Niagara Falls and Windsor crossings, can detect sarin gas, nerve gas, and cyanide.

The dogs sniff around vehicles and when they detect a chemical odour they alert their handler and sit at the source of the smell.