Foster homes sought for ABF puppies

THE Australian Border Force (ABF) is on the lookout for foster homes in Geelong for its future crime-fighting puppies.

Carers will have a 12-month commitment to the detector dogs, who are raised as outside animals with all food and veterinary costs covered.

As part of a carer’s responsibilities, they will need to take care of the animal, give it a safe and caring home, and provide exercise and opportunities for the pup to socialise.

ABF foster carer recruitment and engagement leading officer Gary Callaghan said the organisation was geared up for another big year, with lots of dogs heading out.

“We are always on the lookout for foster carers, especially at this point in time, we could really use some more,” he said.

“Geelong has always been like a heartland ground for us for decades; we’ve had so many good dogs from our carers down in Geelong.

“The city of Geelong offers so much there, it’s got so much variety and when we’re talking about the areas that our dogs are going to work in, Geelong offers so much down there in quite a compact size.”

Once fully trained, the dogs work in narcotics, firearms, explosives, currency and tobacco services, with some working for other agencies.

The breeding program sets the dogs up for success, bred to have the fundamentals within their genetic DNA before being raised and trained to develop what they are born with.

Much of their training is around using their nose and learning to start following an odour when searching bags or passengers.

Mr Callaghan said fostering would be well suited to people who are active, including families, with the dogs helping people get out more.

“Our dogs provide a really good opportunity to get out there and explore with a dog that wants to come along and enjoy the world with you, it’s a lot of fun,” he said.

“We call them working dogs, but the truth is they don’t work a day in their lives it’s all just one big game to them.”

Fostering also means people don’t have to commit to the lifespan of a dog, allowing them to have the experience for a shorter period of time, working in with more people’s lives and busy schedules.

“Foster carers have been in the program for decades and have had many, many, many dogs; it’s a real community, I call it the foster carer family,” Mr Callaghan said.

For more information or to apply to be a foster carer, head to abf.gov.au