Sniffer dogs trained to save British trees from ‘highly destructive’ diseases
A new initiative in the UK is training sniffer dogs to help protect trees from destructive diseases and pests. The program involves collaboration between government agencies and a canine detection firm to utilize dogs' keen sense of smell for identifying plant health threats. Key targets include the harmful Phytophthora ramorum and the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle, both of which pose significant risks to British forestry.
- ▪Sniffer dogs are being trained to detect specific plant health problems in the UK.
- ▪The initiative targets harmful organisms like Phytophthora ramorum and Ips typographus.
- ▪The program is a collaboration between government agencies and a canine detection firm.
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NewsUKHome NewsSniffer dogs trained to save British trees from ‘highly destructive’ diseasesGovernment agencies have teamed up with a canine detection business to train animals to target specific plant health problemsEmily Beament Wednesday 20 May 2026 11:07 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2980229","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sniffer-dogs-trees-plants-phytophthora-ramorum-b2980229.html","title":"Sniffer dogs trained to save British trees from deadly diseases"}}Sniffer dogs search Saydnaya prison after…
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