Seven canines which served in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for more than eight years received heartwarming salutes on the last day of service at a ceremony in Prakriti Park near Shastri Park metro station on Tuesday.
These dogs, aged between 8 and 10 years, served in the CISF squad deployed for Delhi Metro protection.
They had developed age-related ailments and were deemed unfit for operations by the force. The canines — Hina, Veer, Kite, Jelly, Jessy, Lucy and Lovely — have been adopted by a Delhi-based NGO which takes care of ailing animals, said a CISF officer.
Constable Vijay Kumar, the handler of Lovely, a female labrador, said he will miss the canine terribly because she had been a part of his life for last 10 years.
“She was very calm and sensitive compared with the other canines in the group. During the service, she has cleared 51 unattended baggages and 81 mock drills,” said Mr. Vijay.
Deputy Commandant, CISF, Raman Kumar said it was the first time in the force’s history that a ceremony was organised to honour the dedication and devotion of retiring canines.
“We organised a felicitation ceremony for the canines because a batch of seven were retiring together. It was a rare moment and we wanted to give them a memorable goodbye,” said Mr. Kumar.
“We will always be grateful for the undying loyalty, devotion and faithful service from all seven of them. They will never be forgotten,” added Mr. Kumar.
The affection of the force for the canines was visible on the faces of all those who attended the ceremony, especially the dog handlers. Many CISF personnel gathered around the dogs to take a selfie before bidding them adieu.
‘Best friends’
Constable Neeraj, the handler of Veer, a male cocker spaniel, said he cannot describe the pain he is feeling in handing over Veer to someone else. “When I got Veer he was just a month old. We were best friends. He was very naughty but he had a way of telling me ‘get up friend, time to go to work’. He was loved by all other dogs in the kennel. I have taken one last selfie with him,” said Mr. Neeraj. The canines were trained for six months at the CISF Dog Breeding Training Centre in Ghaziabad before being inducted into the Delhi Mero squad.
During the ceremony, senior CISF officers presented mementoes, medals and certificates to the dogs. Thereafter, they were offered cakes and given a final salute as they walked down the red carpet.
Mr. Kumar said that a team of CISF personnel has been formed to visit the dogs at the NGO’s Gurugram centre where they will be kept for the rest of their lives. “We always form a team to look after retired dogs to avoid any ill-treatment to them,” said the officer.
