The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) has added eight paws to its fight against invasive pests. Two specially trained detection dogs—Winnie and Marcel—have joined the TDA Plant Certification Section to help protect Tennessee’s thriving nursery and agricultural industries from the destructive Spotted Lanternfly (SLF).

“These dogs are an efficient new tool to fight the spread of the spotted lanternfly,” Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M. said. “Our trained inspectors who work with the dogs report that the dogs’ ability to detect the pest in all stages gives us an advantage in safeguarding Tennessee’s fruit and forest industries.”

Winnie and Marcel graduated from the USDA National Detector Dog Training Center in Georgia, operated by USDA APHIS’ Plant Protection and Qua

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