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Dogs rescued from Bay Area pounds are being trained by the California Highway Patrol to assist with homeland security. 

They are being trained to identify explosives and are being assigned to seven CHP commercial vehicle inspection stations, the CHP said. 

Lt. Mike Ferrell, of the Cordelia Inspection Facility, said “Maurice” and his handler, Officer Paul Mcintyre, are keeping tabs on the movement of dangerous explosives through the Cordelia station. 

The state's budget crisis has limited the CHP's ability to purchase bomb-sniffing dogs, so condemned dogs have been rescued from animal shelters. 

“We're saving taxpayer dollars as well as abandoned dogs,” Ferrell said.