U.S. Representative Josh Harder's Office Advocates for West Coast Federal Detector-Dog Training Center in San Joaquin County
U.S. Representative Josh Harder's office has been instrumental in advocating for the establishment of a second federal detector-dog training center in San Joaquin County, California. This initiative, which began in 2025, aims to address the scarcity of agricultural detector dogs on the West Coast. Currently, the National Detector Dog Training Center in Newnan, Georgia, is the sole facility for training these specialized teams. San Joaquin County's agricultural economy, valued at approximately $3.4 billion in 2025, is particularly vulnerable to invasive pests, which detector dogs like Waylon, a black Lab mix, are trained to identify. The county's agricultural commissioner, Kamal Bagri, highlights that the current system requires handlers to travel across the country and endure wait times of up to 18 months for training. The pressure from Representative Harder's office has led to a provision in the House's 2027 agriculture spending bill, which is expected to result in a USDA feasibility study by November. Th...
