HR 9327: PEARL Act

HR 9327 in plain English: The PEARL Act requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to create a pilot program that adopts dogs from local animal shelters and trains them as support dogs for CBP personnel. These support dogs would be used to help with grief assistance, trauma mitigation, and morale.

Stated purpose

The bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to launch a pilot program that adopts dogs from local animal shelters and trains them as support dogs for grief assistance, trauma relief, and morale among CBP personnel.

Key points

• Requires CBP to establish a pilot program adopting shelter dogs for its Support Canine Program
• Trained support dogs would be used for grief assistance, trauma mitigation, and morale

Arguments supporters make

• Border patrol work involves significant stress and trauma, so giving CBP personnel access to emotional support dogs could improve mental health and morale
• Adopting dogs from shelters gives animals a second chance and a meaningful working life, benefiting both the dogs and the agency
• The bill explicitly requires no new funding, so it adds a potential benefit at no extra cost to taxpayers

Arguments opponents make

• Without dedicated funding, the program may lack the resources needed to train and care for dogs properly, setting it up to fail or divert existing CBP resources
• A three-year pilot with no funding mechanism makes it difficult to evaluate success or build a lasting program
• CBP already has a canine program, and critics may question whether a separate support dog initiative is a priority use of the agency's capacity and staff time

Tradeoffs

The bill avoids new spending by prohibiting additional appropriations, but that constraint may limit how effectively the program can operate; the trade-off is fiscal restraint versus the resources likely needed to run a meaningful pilot.

Current status in Congress: In committee.

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