Detection dog at Toronto Pearson Airport helps border services seize 22.5 kilos of raw meat from passenger from Egypt

Nearly 22 kg of raw meat, including duck, pigeon, chicken, and rabbit, were seized from a passenger's luggage at Pearson Airport.

A savvy detector dog at Toronto Pearson Airport sniffed out more than 22 kilograms of raw meat from the luggage of a traveller hailing from Egypt earlier this month, the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) says.

On March 8, Dharla, the dog, “made an indication” on a passenger who had raw duck, pigeon, chicken, and rabbit, weighing a total of 22.5 kilos, in their possession, the agency told CP24.

“The food products were properly declared so no enforcement actions were taken against (them),” a CBSA spokesperson said in an email late Monday afternoon.

“We cannot disclose the name of the traveller as an individual’s border and immigration information is considered private and protected by the Privacy Act.”

In a post on X, border services advised travellers to learn more about the requirement to declare all food, plant, and animal products brought into Canada.

This includes live animals and animal products, like cooked or raw meats, hides, skins, trophies, milk, fat, butter, cheese, eggs, fish, and seafood. Plant products, including fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, trees, houseplants, wood (and wood products such as furniture, carvings, bark), firewood, roots, vines, herbs, flowers, insects, bulbs, and soil are also included under this requirement.

Failure to declare any of these products or to provide required permits/certificates can lead to the detention of your products, a penalty up to $1,300, and prosecution, CBSA said.

“Inadmissible goods may be confiscated and disposed of, or ordered removed from Canada. Travellers may also be held responsible for any costs related to the disposal, quarantine, treatment or removal of these items from Canada,” the agency said in a post on its website.

The agency said travellers often fail to declare items like processed or canned foods, homemade food, handmade crafts, including wooden items, firewood, cooked or cured meats, soil, bait for recreational fishing, plants used for homeopathic or medicinal purposes, milk products, like butter, yogurt, kefir, and fruits and vegetables.

“(They) may not realize the hazards associated with food, plant and animal products. These products may carry invasive species and diseases and may cause risks to Canada’s food supply, economy, environment and our health,” said CBSA.