119-HR-3965 Investigative Journalist Impact Analysis

Summary

H.R. 3965—the PEARL Act—directs CBP to establish, within 60 days of enactment, a three‑year pilot to adopt dogs from local shelters for training as CBP Support Canine Program dogs; the bill passed the House by voice vote on November 19, 2025. [6]Congress.gov — H.R.3965 — Text (Reported in House) | Congress.gov[7]Congress.gov — H.R.3965 — Status and Actions (Passed House Nov. 19, 2025) | Con…

• Economic: Low federal cost profile (CBO est. ~$4M over 2025–2030, mostly salaries; ~$1M for procurement/training/travel), limited market distortions, small local spending upticks (veterinary care, supplies). [1]U.S. Government Publishing Office — House Report 119-314 (PEARL Act) with CBO E…
• Social: Plausible near‑term stress‑reduction and morale support for CBP personnel; evidence from randomized trials shows short interactions with therapy dogs can reduce perceived stress and cortisol, though durable effects are unproven. [3]PubMed (Acad Emerg Med, 2020) — Randomized Trial of Therapy Dogs to Reduce Stre…
• Environmental: De minimis operational footprint; marginal positive signal from sourcing dogs via shelters amid ongoing euthanasia pressures. [5]Shelter Animals Count — 2024 Shelter Animals Count Report (selected stats)
• Risks: Program execution (dog selection/washouts), bite/zoonosis liability and infection‑control, ADA/employment accommodations for allergies and phobias, and ensuring animal‑welfare standards. [4]CDC — Animals in Health‑Care Facilities (Infection Control) | CDC[8]ADA National Network — Service and Support Animals in the Workplace | ADA Natio…[9]AVMA — AVMA Policy: Animal‑Assisted Interventions—Definitions and Standards

Economic Effects

Mapped channels: direct federal outlays, workforce productivity, and adjacent local markets.

• Federal outlays: CBO estimates ~$4M (FY2025–2030), including ~$3M for support‑canine handlers and ~$1M for procurement, training, and travel; all subject to appropriations. Budget risk is contained by the program’s three‑year sunset. [1]U.S. Government Publishing Office — House Report 119-314 (PEARL Act) with CBO E…
• Procurement and local spend: Adoption/training of a small number of dogs implies modest flows to local shelters, trainers, veterinarians, and suppliers; scale is constrained by CBO’s ~$1M non‑salary estimate. [1]U.S. Government Publishing Office — House Report 119-314 (PEARL Act) with CBO E…
• Workforce productivity: Evidence from a randomized trial with emergency clinicians found a 5‑minute therapy‑dog interaction reduced perceived stress and lowered salivary cortisol during shifts; however, longer‑term job‑performance or retention effects were not demonstrated. Translational relevance is plausible but unproven for CBP. [3]PubMed (Acad Emerg Med, 2020) — Randomized Trial of Therapy Dogs to Reduce Stre…
• Shelter‑system externality: With an estimated 607,000 animals euthanized in 2024 (≈334,000 dogs), each adoption marginally reduces shelter load; given anticipated program scale, macro effects are negligible but directionally positive. [5]Shelter Animals Count — 2024 Shelter Animals Count Report (selected stats)

Social Effects

Focus: workforce mental health, equity/ADA considerations, and community relations.

• Workforce context: CBP created a Support Canine Program in January 2023 to assist with grief, trauma mitigation, and morale—handled by chaplains/peer‑support staff—indicating an institutional baseline for the bill’s pilot. [2]U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Border Patrol Launches Support Canine Prog…
• Evidence of benefit: A randomized clinical trial shows short therapy‑dog interactions can reduce on‑shift stress and cortisol among healthcare providers; evidence for sustained mental‑health outcomes remains limited. [3]PubMed (Acad Emerg Med, 2020) — Randomized Trial of Therapy Dogs to Reduce Stre…
• First‑responder risk profile: NIOSH/CDC notes elevated suicide risk among law enforcement and emphasizes peer‑based and decompression supports—aligning with CBP’s handler model. [10]CDC/NIOSH — NIOSH Science Blog: Law Enforcement Day—Suicide Risk and Supports
• Morale landscape: DHS agency engagement improved in 2024 Best Places to Work rankings (DHS +3.7 to 65.1/100), suggesting broader workforce initiatives; attributing changes to canines alone would be speculative. [11]Partnership for Public Service — Best Places to Work 2024—Press Release (DHS im…
• Equity and accommodations: Program dogs are not ADA “service animals”; employers must navigate reasonable accommodations for employees with allergies/phobias and potential conflicts in shared spaces. [12]U.S. Department of Justice — Service Animals | ADA.gov[8]ADA National Network — Service and Support Animals in the Workplace | ADA Natio…
• Community relations: CBP indicates support‑canine teams may engage in outreach, potentially humanizing the agency in local settings, though outcomes are unmeasured. [2]U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Border Patrol Launches Support Canine Prog…

Environmental Effects

Scale is small; impacts concentrate in operations and shelter-system interactions.

• Operational footprint: Travel and routine care for a limited number of dogs generate minor emissions and waste; CBO’s modest travel/care line item underscores limited scale. [1]U.S. Government Publishing Office — House Report 119-314 (PEARL Act) with CBO E…
• Shelter impact: Sourcing dogs from shelters provides a marginal alternative to euthanasia amid ongoing capacity pressures (≈607k total animals euthanized in 2024). [5]Shelter Animals Count — 2024 Shelter Animals Count Report (selected stats)
• Biosecurity and waste: Therapy‑animal programs require hygiene controls to manage zoonoses and waste handling; established CDC infection‑control guidance applies by analogy to workplace deployments. [4]CDC — Animals in Health‑Care Facilities (Infection Control) | CDC

Temporal Analysis

Distinguishing immediate setup effects from longer‑term outcomes.

1. Immediate (0–12 months): CBP stands up the pilot within 60 days; dogs are selected, trained, and paired with chaplain/peer‑support handlers. Early benefits likely center on acute stress relief during interactions; measurement should include usage, incident response, and short‑term absenteeism. [6]Congress.gov — H.R.3965 — Text (Reported in House) | Congress.gov[2]U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Border Patrol Launches Support Canine Prog…[3]PubMed (Acad Emerg Med, 2020) — Randomized Trial of Therapy Dogs to Reduce Stre…
2. Medium term (1–3 years): Program matures and standard operating procedures (SOPs) stabilize (selection criteria, handler training, deployment protocols, welfare monitoring). Evidence base for durable mental‑health outcomes is mixed and methodologically limited, warranting careful evaluation design. [13]Web search · turn 5 #3
3. End‑of‑pilot review: With a statutory sunset at three years, CBP should publish quantitative metrics (utilization, incidents, referrals to care, retention/leave trends) and qualitative feedback, alongside canine welfare logs, to inform any reauthorization. [6]Congress.gov — H.R.3965 — Text (Reported in House) | Congress.gov

Unintended Consequences

Risks and second‑order effects documented in credible guidance or literature.

• ADA and workplace conflicts: Support dogs (for general workforce wellness) are distinct from ADA‑defined service animals; agencies must manage reasonable accommodations for employees with allergies, phobias, or cultural/religious objections, potentially via spatial scheduling or alternative service delivery. [12]U.S. Department of Justice — Service Animals | ADA.gov[8]ADA National Network — Service and Support Animals in the Workplace | ADA Natio…
• Selection and washout: Not all shelter dogs will meet temperament/obedience thresholds for facility‑animal work; unsuccessful candidates increase training sunk costs—an execution risk that the pilot should track explicitly. (No robust pass‑rate data identified.)
• Moral hazard in wellness: Visible wellness assets may be perceived as substitutes for sustained clinical support; governance should pair canines with evidence‑based services (peer teams, counseling) rather than replace them. [10]CDC/NIOSH — NIOSH Science Blog: Law Enforcement Day—Suicide Risk and Supports
• Animal‑welfare load: Over‑scheduling, inadequate rest, or poorly controlled environments can stress dogs; IAHAIO/AVMA/AAHA guidelines call for time‑limited sessions, veterinary oversight, and defined retirement pathways. [15]IAHAIO (archived copy) — IAHAIO White Paper (2014, updated 2018): AAI Definitio…[9]AVMA — AVMA Policy: Animal‑Assisted Interventions—Definitions and Standards[14]American Animal Hospital Association — 2021 AAHA Working, Assistance, and Thera…

Assessment

Overall stance: neutral. The PEARL Act’s pilot is low‑cost and plausibly beneficial for near‑term stress relief and morale, but rigorous evidence on durable outcomes (retention, injury/leave reduction) is limited; risks are manageable with strong SOPs on selection, biosecurity, ADA accommodations, and welfare. A data‑rich evaluation at the three‑year mark should determine continuation or scale. [1]U.S. Government Publishing Office — House Report 119-314 (PEARL Act) with CBO E…[3]PubMed (Acad Emerg Med, 2020) — Randomized Trial of Therapy Dogs to Reduce Stre…[4]CDC — Animals in Health‑Care Facilities (Infection Control) | CDC

Sourcing

Authoritative materials used for this assessment.

• Bill text and status (including House passage, Nov 19, 2025): Congress.gov. [6]Congress.gov — H.R.3965 — Text (Reported in House) | Congress.gov[7]Congress.gov — H.R.3965 — Status and Actions (Passed House Nov. 19, 2025) | Con…
• House report and CBO estimate (costs, program description): GPO/House Report 119‑314. [1]U.S. Government Publishing Office — House Report 119-314 (PEARL Act) with CBO E…
• CBP Support Canine Program background (Jan 2023 launch, handler model): CBP releases. [2]U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Border Patrol Launches Support Canine Prog…[16]Web search · turn 6 #0
• Therapy‑dog stress evidence: randomized clinical trial (emergency providers). [3]PubMed (Acad Emerg Med, 2020) — Randomized Trial of Therapy Dogs to Reduce Stre…
• First‑responder mental‑health risk context: NIOSH/CDC. [10]CDC/NIOSH — NIOSH Science Blog: Law Enforcement Day—Suicide Risk and Supports
• ADA/service‑animal distinctions and workplace accommodation guidance: ADA.gov; ADA National Network. [12]U.S. Department of Justice — Service Animals | ADA.gov[8]ADA National Network — Service and Support Animals in the Workplace | ADA Natio…
• Infection‑control/zoonosis guidance for animal‑assisted settings: CDC. [4]CDC — Animals in Health‑Care Facilities (Infection Control) | CDC
• Animal‑assisted intervention welfare guidelines: AVMA, AAHA, IAHAIO. [9]AVMA — AVMA Policy: Animal‑Assisted Interventions—Definitions and Standards[14]American Animal Hospital Association — 2021 AAHA Working, Assistance, and Thera…[15]IAHAIO (archived copy) — IAHAIO White Paper (2014, updated 2018): AAI Definitio…
• Shelter euthanasia/throughput data: Shelter Animals Count (2024). [5]Shelter Animals Count — 2024 Shelter Animals Count Report (selected stats)
• Federal workforce engagement trends (DHS): Partnership for Public Service. [11]Partnership for Public Service — Best Places to Work 2024—Press Release (DHS im…