A beagle with U.S. Customs and Border Protection is on the mend after being kicked so hard that he was lifted off the ground during a luggage check at Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.
The working dog, Freddy, suffered bruising but is expected to make a full recovery.
“We’re grateful for the concern shown for Freddy, who sustained injuries while carrying out his duties at Dulles Airport,” CBP shared in a statement released on X Friday. “Freddy received treatment from his veterinarian and is expected to recover completely. Here he is enjoying his favorite indulgence – a Pup Cup!”
The individual charged with kicking Freddy, a 70-year-old Egyptian citizen named Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie, admitted guilt in federal court this week to injuring a law enforcement animal.
Marie pleaded guilty Wednesday during an appearance in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to violating a law that prohibits harming animals used in law enforcement. He was credited with time served, ordered to pay the veterinary bill and directed to report to CBP for removal.
CBP officials said the dog was simply doing his job.
“Being caught deliberately smuggling well over one hundred pounds of undeclared and prohibited agriculture products does not give one permission to violently assault a defenseless Customs and Border Protection beagle,” said Christine Waugh, CBP’s area port director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C.
A search of Marie’s luggage revealed 55 pounds of beef; 44 pounds of rice; 15 pounds of vegetables, including eggplant, cucumbers and bell peppers; two pounds of corn seeds; and a pound of herbs. All were seized as prohibited agricultural imports.
Freddy, a CBP agriculture detector beagle, enjoys a pup cup while recovering from injuries sustained when a traveler kicked him during a baggage screening at Dulles International Airport this week. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection via X)
CBP agriculture specialists and detection canines play a key role in protecting U.S. agriculture from pests, diseases and contaminants.
On a typical day last year, CBP said its teams intercepted more than 3,500 prohibited plant and animal products at U.S. ports of entry.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
CBP did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for further comment.
