E-Paper
Commando-puppies to remain homeless till Games, say cops
They would be sniffing around for suspects and explosives. They would ensure that Commonwealth Games are smooth and hassle free. Yet these puppies would not have any home before the Games. Vijaita Singh reports.
They would be sniffing around for suspects and explosives. They would ensure that Commonwealth Games are smooth and hassle free. Yet these puppies would not have any home before the Games.
The land for a permanent dog squad in Saket was sanctioned only a month ago. The construction would start only by the end of this year.
The German Shepherds, Labradors and Dobermans, some of the breeds of the puppies, were purchased from a Hyderabad buyer on November 5, 2009. The 68 canines are presently undergoing training in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. These dogs were purchased for Rs 19 lakh. Taking a cue from foreign countries, these pups will be micro chipped and their entire data would be stored on a computer.
Mostly put on VVIP routes, the 50 odd dogs already with the Delhi Police were not enough for a city with a population of 1.7 crore.
Police said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sanctioned a piece of land at Saket for the construction of dog squad but the documentation and other formalities have not been completed.
Police said they were looking for "makeshift arrangement" to house these trained dogs there. The canines would complete their training by the end of July.
"The dog shelters and the new building in Saket cannot be constructed so soon. It will take at least a year. Our dogs will be ready for operation before that," said the officer.
When serial blasts rocked the Capital in September 2008, it was left to six dogs to save the day. The six dogs were running around looking for undetected bombs or explosives.
"Most of the time the dogs are put on VVIP routes. In 2008, Sunny, one of the efficient dogs, had fallen ill due to work overload. He was stressed," said a senior police officer.
Of the 50 dogs with the Delhi police at present, 34 are trained to sniff explosives.
Stay updated with all top Cities including, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and more across India. Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News along with Delhi Election 2025 and Delhi Election Result 2025 Live, New Delhi Election Result Live, Kalkaji Election Result Live at Hindustan Times.
