Invasive species of Asian mussels have met their match in Alberta’s riverine sniffer dogs. Hilo, Jane, and Winnie, 2 black labs and a black-lab cross, are part of the paws-on-the-ground response at boat inspection stations across the province. “These mussels really like to hide in damp, dark places (and) a lot of them are hard to see,” said Sawchuk. It’s a very enriching line of work for the animals, who receive a spark of dopamine while looking for the mussels. In similar provinces, a mussel infestation might cost $75 million a year to manage and be virtually un-uprootable.