Bruce, the only narcotic sniffer dog of Kerala Police dog squad, is a star. Stationed with the Idukki unit of the Kerala Police’s dog squad, this Labrador has cracked six cases involving narcotic drug peddling in the high ranges of the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Sitting quietly next to her is another super star- Steffy a.k.a. Esther. A tracker dog, it was she who made the breakthrough in a murder case in Kuttikkanam a week ago. The blood stains on the victim’s sari was all that the Lab needed to sniff out the convicts from their homes nearby. Then there is sleek and sturdy Jancy, the first Doberman to be inducted into the dog squad, trained for anti-naxal duty, along with Rambo and Browny, the other Dobermans.
They are part of a 15-member dog squad that will walk into the limelight on January 26 as they march down Central Stadium at the Republic Day parade. It is for the first time that a dog squad is taking part in the annual parade. Three Dobermans, 11 Labradors and one Golden Retriever are part of the squad. Four other dogs, including a German shepherd, are kept in reserve in case of an emergency.
Kerala Police dog squad rehearsing for the Republic Day parade at Central Stadium. The squad is participating in the parade for the first time Photo: S. Gopakumar
“The dogs had a passing-out parade when they completed training at State Dog Training School at Kerala Police Academy (KPA) in Thrissur. That was the only parade these dogs had taken participated in. On the first day of the rehearsal for the Republic Day parade, they were a little uncomfortable, initially, in the presence of the horses of the mounted police battalion,” says Mathew Bensilas, Reserve Sub-Inspector (RSI) of the city dog squad, who is coordinating the squad’s march at the parade.
The occasion means a lot for the handlers even though it involves only taking part in the march past. For many it is a “historical moment” and a few others consider it a new experience for both the handlers and the dogs.
The handlers and their dogs are inseparable from the day they are assigned to each other. Usually two handlers are put in charge of a dog. “They are our responsibility from the day we take charge of them. They can be as young as three months. We undergo a nine-month training at KPA with the dogs. They are trained to detect explosives, narcotics or as trackers,” says Manoj Krishnan, handler of Rani a.k.a. Renu, a Labrador from Kollam.
“They can easily pick up on our mood swings. If we are low on confidence or are disturbed, the dog understands that so well that it is reflected in their behaviour also. That affects their performance on duty as well,” says Renjith Mohan P. N. from Idukki, who, along with Somy Markose, handles Bruce. “Since she is used to the cool climate of the high range, the heat here is making her a tad uncomfortable,” Renjith adds.
The dog squad gives salute as the National Anthem is played; (above) rehearsing for the Republic Day parade at Central Stadium. Photos: S. Gopakumar
Whether they want to be a handler or not is a personal choice for these policemen. Once they get inducted into the force, they are given an option to take up the responsibility as and when vacancies are reported in the dog squads.
Some of them have put in over a decade’s service. Like Madhuraj A. V. from Ernakulam who is in charge of Bella, a Lab specialising in detecting explosives. A senior civil police officer with the squad, he did his training from the Border Security Force’s dog training academy much before Kerala opened its dog training unit in KPA.
For handler Aneesh V. P. of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), it has been a challenge handling the Doberman.
“It is not easy to train them. But then these dogs have amazing stamina and strength. They run very fast and that really helps us in chasing down our targets in forests,” he says.
The show-stealer is the Golden Retriever Steffy, the explosives sniffer of Thiruvananthapuram Rural dog squad unit, the only Golden Retriever among all dog squads in Kerala.
“Initially we were a bit apprehensive about handling her. Also we weren’t sure how it would cope with the climate. However she is obedient and capable,” says Harikrishnan A. R., the handler.
The squad’s parade is led by RSI D. K. Pushpakumar. Jancy is the marker, with the others joining her to form three rows.
What’s in a name?
Almost all these dogs have two names, one given by the handler and the other that goes on record. For instance, Bruce has become Neeli, Appu is now Ravi, Chippi has been christened Julie, Ruby as Rani, Rani as Renu, etc. “However the dogs respond only if we call them by their original names,” say the handlers in unison.
The line-up
The participating units and the dogs are: Thiruvananthapuram Rural (Steffy), Kollam (Rani), Kottayam (Chippi, Appu), Alappuzha (Lido), Idukki (Bruce, Steffy, Jeny), Ernakulam (Bella, Betty), Thrissur (Bella), Palakkad (Ruby), IR Battalion Shornur (Jancy), IR Battalion Malappuram (Rambo, Browny)
