Everything You Don’t Know About Conservation Dogs

By Amy Fernandez

Hawaii. Maybe it’s a trite stereotype but a couple things instantly come to mind when you hear the word “Hawaii” – pineapples and coconuts. These insanely popular local crops define the concept of tropical luxury. Now, cut coconuts out of that picture… no more of those fabulous coconut palm trees. And FYI – the immortal Keith Richards almost killed himself trying to climb one.

Thankfully, Keith is still here but the coconut palm may not be so lucky. An invasive pest has been systematically demolishing Hawaii’s coconut palms, and it is winning this war. Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles (CRB) are big. They are two inches long. And the problem is finding the larvae before they grow up. Hawaii’s CRB problem has spread to the point where it’s threatening the state’s economy. After more than a decade, Hawaii’s Department of Agriculture has shifted from any hope of eradication to devising containment measures–and it’s relying on an old technology.

Detection dogs are used to ID bedbugs, termites, and countless other problematic insects.  And they are proving to be the ideal weapon against this beastly bug. We’ve all seen those cute Beagles patrolling international checkpoints in their little green vests. So, dogs are not new to this game of pest control. Lesser known are the conservation dog programs which unite detection dog technology with environmental protection initiatives–and it’s not just Beagles. There are plenty of Labs, German Shepherds, and Malinois working this beat.

Various incarnations of these programs are used worldwide. Dogs can be trained to alert on any type of scent molecule whether it’s animal, vegetable, or mineral. That’s a lot of job flexibility.  Conservation dogs are deployed to monitor protected native species from orchids to lizards and birds. They are used to detect poachers that threaten endangered populations of tigers in India, and Koalas in Australia. They locate chemical spills and oil leaks and, yes, they also perform the somewhat less glamorous but equally essential task of bug detection.

Conservation dog programs partner with local community groups and state agencies to monitor and contain the spread of both native and invasive species like the spotted lantern fly, which is currently munching its way through New York. Dogs offer some notable advantages in this role. They bring an element of precision to the job that facilities a targeted response. This minimizes the application of pesticides, and it heads off future generations of damage. When dogs alert on a target like an infested tree, the response team is called in with the bug killing artillery. This protocol is both precise and efficient. Humans could never cover such a range of territory that quickly and accurately. Dogs can also search areas that are otherwise inaccessible–and that includes a lot of insect habitats concealed inside trees or underground. At this point, interrupting the CRB lifecycle is the best hope for averting disaster.

These dogs offer precise, efficient, and economical solutions, working with local agencies to help protect both native and invasive species, especially as federal support declines. Most importantly, they need our support.

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Posted by Liz on Aug 24 2025. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.