Quarantine detector dogs hit the stage for the children's festival

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) beagles will star at the ninth Children’s Festival in Bankstown on Saturday 22 September.

An AQIS beagle’s nose is a hundred times more acute than a human’s : our dogs are trained to sniff out more than 30 quarantine items, including fruit and vegetables, meat, plant material, eggs, birds, reptiles, and bees.

These items might not look like quarantine risks, but they could contain hidden pests and disease that could damage Australia’s environment, agricultural and tourism industries.

The Children’s Festival celebrates the diversity of cultures that has made Australia an exciting, vibrant place to live - and it gives AQIS an opportunity to remind travellers of all ages that they have a role to play in protecting Australia from exotic pests and diseases.

Who: AQIS detector dogs, Quarantine officers
What: Interviews and photo opportunities
When: 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Where: main stage and Stall T/C, Paul Keating Park, The Mall, Bankstown

For more information contact: DAFF Media +61 2 6272 3232