In the U.S. Postal Service sorting facility in West Sacramento, California, thousands of packages move through every hour — most harmless, some not. Hidden among everyday deliveries can be illegal plants, fruit, and wildlife products capable of introducing invasive pests and diseases.
But one unlikely star employee working to prevent it is Berty, a four-year-old black Labrador retriever with a nose trained to sniff out organic contraband, Abridged reported.
Since April 2024, Berty has worked with the Yolo County Department of Agriculture as a certified detector dog, patrolling shipping facilities for unauthorized organic material. Her mission is to identify packages that could introduce invasive species capable of harming crops, ecosystems, and economies…