New York – A couple of new enforcers have joined the ranks of New York City’s housing inspection team — two dogs trained to sniff out bedbugs that might otherwise elude the less-honed senses of their human colleagues.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Mickey and Nemo, two young beagles, began working for the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development late last week.
Already, they have helped uncover three infestations, resulting in violation notices being served on landlords.
“Bedbugs will be hard pressed to evade detection from Mickey, Nemo and the rest of the … code enforcement team,” Christine Quinn, speaker of the New York City Council, said in a statement.
The City Council has covered most of the $69,000 needed to acquire the two dogs with six months of training and pay for their continued schooling, veterinary care and insurance, and food and housing for their first year of service.
It is the first time bedbug-sniffing dogs have been employed by New York City, the housing department said.
Although bedbugs do not spread disease, they can be extremely upsetting for the people whom they crawl over and bite. The housing department described bedbugs as a “rising nuisance” in New York and other municipalities, although it did not quantify the problem.
OWS do you hear that?
$70,000.00 for 2 dogs!!!
And that doesn’t include Pensions for them when they retire. Don’t tell me they’re not going to get a pension.