VADODARA: Dog lovers will be able to pet, pamper, play or just shower love on the canine warriors of the police. The state-level retirement home for dogs, a very unique facility in the country, started by the Gujarat police in Anand has been thrown open for the public.
After the Indian Army, which has a K9 old-age home in Meerut, Gujarat police is the only second force in the country to have an old-age home for its canines.
To ensure that the four-legged colleagues of the state police spend their post-retirement life with dignity and respect, the state police had opened the facility which started at Anand police headquarters. It was inaugurated by state DGP Ashish Bhatia in July. The facility currently has 17 retired police dogs including three German Shepherds and Labradors.
“After its inauguration, we are receiving many requests from people who want to visit the facility. So, under our public outreach programme, Suraksha Setu, we have decided to open this facility for the general public,” said Anand district superintendent of police Ajit Rajiaan, himself a canine lover.
In fact, a lot of donors have come forward offering winter jackets and toys for the inmates for whom shelters, open ground and obstacle courses have been set up at the facility to keep the retired dogs active and fit. The facility will be open for school and college students every weekends for two hours from 9am to 11am and again two hours in the evening from 4pm to 6 pm.
“People can pet, play, take a walk, feed the dogs in presence of police dog handlers. Similarly, NGOs too can actively contribute during these hours,” said Rajiaan, adding that it will be a win-win situation for both the human and his ‘best friends’. The dogs earlier handled tough jobs like sniffing out narcotics, explosives and helping detect crimes by tracking down the accused.
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