Biosecurity Tasmania detector dog in training Pippa enjoyed Agfest

Pippa was just 13 weeks old at Agfest 2017 when she met Mr Hodgman and earned the nickname “Crocodile”.

She was back at Agfest last week to meet thousands more people, including Tasmanian Primary Industries Minister Sarah Courtney, and to raise awareness about the work the Biosecurity Tasmania’s detector dog unit does.

The cute crime stopper has been working with Tasmanian detector dog unit coordinator Rhonda Hall, who was impressed with her confidence as a puppy and considers Pippa has what it takes for a career within the unit.

“She has been socialising and doing pre-target training. She hasn’t learnt any targets yet,” Ms Hall said.

Pippa is almost ready to move on to the next stage of her training, which involves learning her biosecurity targets.

“She been in the airport and getting used to passengers, socialising with other dogs and doing all those things,” she said.

Training starts when Ms Hall and her team have the time, which has been under pressure since Tasmania’s fruit fly incursion in January, and also when another dog is needed.

“When we need a dog we will get them ready to go. I could just take her now and start her training on targets, because a dog might retire or we have another dog who is having an ear reconstruction,” Ms Hall said.

There are two detector dogs ready to step into the new role before Pippa, but the time will come for the feisty beagle who was rescued by Biosecurity Tasmania when she was just three weeks old.

“Their work is too important. We’ve got 12 teams out there, it’s a lot of work because different issues come up or there might be change in procedure so they call me to do more training,” she said.

Under the Tasmanian Fruit Fly Strategy 2017-2050, Biosecurity Tasmania has “the capacity to target 100 per cent of incoming air passenger arrivals at major airports in the state for inspection by detector dog teams” to maintain and enhance the state’s protection.