History has aroused a wave of indignation in the United States. Tuesday, June 24, at Washington Dulles airport, a passenger violently hit a customs dog after he detected smuggling in his luggage.
The dog, a cynophile beagle “K9” named Freddieintervened in the luggage recovery zone at the arrival of an Egyptair flight from Cairo. Trained to detect agricultural products prohibited from importing, the animal marked the stop in front of the suitcase of a 70 -year -old traveler, Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie. The man then approached and, without warning, gave a violent kick, projecting the 11 kg dog into the air. Wounded at a coast, Freddie was driven in an emergency to a veterinarian, who diagnosed bruises at the ribs.
“Freddie was only doing her job”
The animal’s alert was justified. In the traveler’s suitcases, the agents found more than 45 kg of prohibited products: 25 kg of beef, 20 kg of rice, 7 kg of vegetables and almost a kilo of corn seeds as well as aromatic herbs. These unsuccessful foods are prohibited from entry into American territory because they may contain parasites or serious illnesses for local agricultural sectors.
“Being in the act of smuggling of more than 45 kg of prohibited agricultural products does not in any case give the right to attack a defenseless dog,” said Christine Waugh, director of the Washington Customs Port, quoted in the CBP press release (Customs Police). “We depend a lot on our canine partners. Freddie was doing only his work. Any malicious attack on one of us is an attack on us all. »»
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A big fine and an immediate return
Arrested immediately, the traveler of Egyptian origin was presented to the federal district court is in Virginia the next day. He pleaded guilty of violence against an animal used for the purposes of applying the law. He was ordered to pay the veterinary costs of Freddie, credited with the past detention time, and received the order to leave the territory immediately. He was expelled to Egypt on Thursday, June 26.
Freddie, on the other hand, is recovering but could soon resume his service at Dulles airport.
