If you can see yourself as a biosecurity detector dog handler, you’re in luck — the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is recruiting.
If working with man’s best friend is your idea of a dream job, you may be in luck, with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry whistling up potential biosecurity detector dog handlers.
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“Being a detector dog handler and working with dogs daily is a fun job that also plays an important role in Australia’s biosecurity system,” DAFF’s Colin Hunter said.
“We’re looking for candidates who are engaging, resilient and results driven.
“To be a biosecurity detector dog handler, you need to be a fully accredited and operational biosecurity officer.
“This is why, in recent times, recruitment for these positions has been an internal process.
“This new recruitment round is open to the general public and we encourage all who are interested to apply.
“Successful applicants will receive biosecurity foundation training as well as detector dog handler training to prepare them for the scenarios they may experience when deployed across our operation pathways,” Mr Hunter said.
This year marks 30 years of the detector dog program.
“With international travel increasing following the opening of borders after COVID, and increased volumes in the mail and seaport pathways, the department requires additional biosecurity detector dog handlers to join the front line of biosecurity.
“It’s a great opportunity to join this specialised team and work with amazing canine and human colleagues to help protect Australia against biosecurity risks.
“Detector dogs are fast, versatile and mobile with a key role in strengthening our biosecurity systems in response to a growing biosecurity threat.
“This year our detector dog program celebrates 30 years of helping to protect Australia from exotic pests and diseases, which is definitely a ‘paws’ for a celebration.”
Detector dogs are trained to detect biosecurity risk items such as fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, fresh plant material (including cuttings), viable seeds and bulbs, meat (excluding fish), eggs and brown marmorated stink bugs.
These groups contain more than 200 individual commodities.
On average, detector dogs can be expected to find up to 9000 biosecurity risk items during their working life.
The three most common items the detector dogs find are meat, seeds and fruit.
Last financial year the detector dogs intercepted about 16,000 biosecurity risk items.
The three most detected items included meat, seeds and fruit which could all carry pests and diseases that would seriously harm the environment, agricultural industries and economy if they were to establish in Australia.
