Alberta adds more mussel-sniffing dogs to keep invasive species out of province’s waterways
Posted Jul 29, 2026 12:32 pm.
Who let the dogs out?
The Alberta government is adding two more conservation dogs – and their heightened sense of smell – to sniff out invasive mussels around boats and along the province’s shorelines.
Canines Jane and Winnie are joining Hilo as the now pack of three work to keep Alberta mussel-free.
The province says the dogs underwent intensive training in the United States over the last few months to learn to identify all three species of invasive freshwater mussels present in North America.
“Working alongside watercraft inspectors, they use their highly trained sense of smell to detect mussels in hard-to-see areas of boats and shorelines, helping stop them before they reach Alberta’s waters,” the province said in a news release.
Alberta has been hard at work to keep mussels from spreading. The invasive species can damage entire aquatic ecosystems and infrastructure.
All watercraft entering Alberta must be inspected and owners who don’t comply face steep penalties.
“The best way to stop invasive mussels is to prevent them from arriving in the first place,” said Megan Evans, the executive director of Alberta Invasive Species Council. “These conservation dogs are another incredible tool helping Alberta protect our lakes, rivers, and water infrastructure before irreversible damage occurs.”
So far this year, the province says it’s intercepted six watercraft carrying invasive mussels attempting to enter Alberta.
–With files from The Canadian Press
