Drug Detection Dogs' Second Life... Korea Customs Service, Retired Dogs Adopted by Civilians

Profile of the Retriever breed among the drug detection dogs that the Korea Customs Service Customs Border Management Training Institute will allocate to the private sector next month. Provided by the Korea Customs Service

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Korea Customs Service is recruiting owners to share the second life of retired drug detection dogs.

The Customs Border Management Training Institute announced on the 25th that it will be placing 16 detection dogs into private homes from the 1st to the 12th of next month.

The placement program is being promoted to find a new life for detection dogs that have retired after serving at frontline customs sites such as airports and ports, or those that were eliminated during the training process.

The drug detection dog breeds available for placement are purebred dogs maintaining excellent bloodlines, including Labrador Retrievers and Springer Spaniels, and they have received basic training.

Starting this year, a socialization training program will be conducted for detection dogs placed in private homes to help them quickly adapt to their new environments.

Applications for placement are open not only to individuals but also to organizations such as schools participating in detection dog competitions and veterinary associations.

Applications for private placement can be submitted through the Customs Border Management Training Institute’s website. The institute plans to select final adopters through document screening, interviews with applicants, and on-site inspections of living environments (detached houses, rural homes).

Since 2012, the Customs Border Management Training Institute has been placing detection dogs into private homes. As of last year, a total of 74 detection dogs have been placed, all of which have been confirmed to continue their second lives with new families.

For more detailed information about the placement, inquiries can be made through the Detection Dog Training Center at the Customs Border Management Training Institute.

Jo Eun-jung, Director of the Customs Border Management Training Institute, said, “I hope many citizens will participate in the detection dog placement application and have the fortunate opportunity to become companions to these detection dogs.”