For the federal agency, however, it was a retirement.

Noel Hashimoto, the port director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Protection and Quarantine branch, told The Maui News that ag dogs have fairly short careers, usually around eight years.

Kahului had the services of a dog for about four years, but when his inspector-handler was promoted, the dog retired.

Actually, his handler adopted him, but they no longer come to work together.

Hashimoto says the dog-human team position for Kahului is vacant. It has not been canceled.

Federal dogs check exports, to protect Mainland agriculture from Hawaii pests – of which the Mediterranean fruit fly is probably the most notorious.

State inspector dogs check imports, to protect Hawaii's farms and its unique native ecosystems from alien pests being carried in on cargo or luggage.

The state had two dogs on Maui until April. It has been unable to recruit qualified inspector-handlers, although it continues to try. Because of a typographical error, a story in The Maui News on Page A4 Wednesday said the state had quit trying.

In fact, the state Department of Agriculture has continuous recruitment for both kinds of inspectors – plain humans and human-dog specialists.

Hashimoto says dogs are not used by the Plant Protection and Quarantine division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture at all ports of entry.

On Maui, federal agricultural inspectors are responsible only for exports to the U.S. Mainland.

The Customs and Border Protection branch of the Department of Homeland Security now is responsible for checking exports of plants and plant products to foreign countries.