Thrissur: The Kerala Police has built the first dedicated memorial and cemetery for the department’s dogs, probably the first of its kind in Asia. On Saturday, State Police Chief Loknath Behera offered floral tributes and uncovered the memorial structure at the Kerala Police Academy here. The K9 Squad of the Kerala Police has played a relevant role in investigations into many cases including murders, snatching, and theft. The police dogs are trained at the Kerala Police Academy with the help of expert trainers. The dogs are also trained for security surveillance by the bomb squad.
Now, as many as 19 dogs are being directed to ‘Vishranthi’, the retirement home for aged dogs that were once in service. Previously, after service, these dogs were fostered by common people, but this practice was discontinued recently due to some security reasons. Considering people may use these trained dogs for criminal activities, the department finally decided to care for them in their custody. The department also plans to construct boards displaying the service highlights of each dog.
In 1959, the dog squad of the Kerala Police began with three Alsatian dogs in Thiruvananthapuram. After 62 years, the department has 150 dogs and kennel facilities for them in each district across the state. Other than the common breeds like the German Shepherd and the Labrador, 37 dogs of breeds like Beagle, Chippiparai, Kanni, and Belgian Malinois were also hired to the K9 squad recently. All dogs are given excellent training lessons that meet international standards and the modules are updated to face different challenges that emerge during investigations.
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