CANINE (К9) SUPPORT OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE STATE CUSTOMS SERVICE OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article analyzes the regulatory and legal support for the activities of
canine units of the State Customs Service of Ukraine. Particular attention is paid to
the standardization of work and mechanisms for involving canine teams in the
implementation of the tasks of the State Customs Service of Ukraine in the field of
combating smuggling and ensuring the proper implementation of customs
control. The features of the training and activity of service dogs are determined,
which distinguish the state and level of canine support of the activities of customs
authorities from the canine support of other law enforcement agencies. It is
emphasized that the development of technologies is not able to compete with the
abilities of service dogs, which currently remain the most effective and efficient
means of detecting facts of illegal movement of goods across the state border. It is
also noted that, unlike other law enforcement agencies, the activities in the field of
canine support in the State Customs Service of Ukraine, among other things, arefocused on the service dog, which acts as a «partner» in the «canine handler-dog»
relationship. It is emphasized that the burden on canine teams currently remains
a problematic issue, which is primarily related to the legal regime of martial law.