After a lifetime of loyal service, elderly police dogs in Kerala can now settle down to a happy retired life, thanks to the latest initiative of the Kerala police.
A brand new kennel has been built in Thrissur’s Kerala Police Academy for dogs retiring from the force. Officers have identified 10 decommissioned dogs who will be the first occupants of the kennel.
“We used to give these dogs to NGOs or hand them over to private parties. Even the NGOs mostly put the dogs up for adoption. Sometimes the dogs are not given adequate care. In some cases, their training is misused by their new owners. We then decided to take care of them ourselves,” an officer in charge of the kennel told TNM.
The initiative was conceived a year ago by none other than the state police chief Loknath Behera. On May 29, the first batch of retired dogs will be welcomed at the facility.
“There is enough open space for them to run around and play. We have separate 100 sq ft enclosures in which they can eat, sleep, poop, etc. Each dog will be given food based on the advice of vets from the Mannuthy Veterinary College,” the officer added.
The standard portion of food given is 250 gm of rice and meat. Special care is given for those dogs who are unwell. Caretakers will also be appointed for the dogs in the kennel.
Currently, 29-30 trained dogs serve in the Kerala police. The dog force comprises Dobermans, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and Labradors. Inducted into the force when they are 2 months old, the dogs are trained from when they are 3 months old and continue to work until the age of 8-10.
“Their work environment is very stressful. They can fall ill soon as their job requires them to sniff 300 times a minute. Some of them are really old when they retire. We want to ensure that they get at least 2 years of peace and quiet before they die,” the officer added.