Now Reading: Maharashtra police dogs to retire with their handlers
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Maharashtra police dogs to retire with their handlers
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed that retired police dogs be allowed to spend their remaining lives with the police force instead of being sent to adoptive homes. The decision follows…
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed that retired police dogs be allowed to spend their remaining lives with the police force instead of being sent to adoptive homes. The decision follows a home department report that found some dogs stopped eating when separated from the handlers they had bonded with over a decade of service.
Under the proposed plan, the police department will bear the cost of food, medical care and upkeep of retired dogs until their death. Police dogs typically join the force at 6-9 weeks of age, undergo extensive training, and serve for 10 years in detecting explosives and narcotics, tracing criminals, and carrying out search and rescue operations.
After completing 10 years of service, the dogs generally have a remaining lifespan of only one to one-and-a-half years. The new arrangement will allow them to remain with their handlers in a familiar environment. Animal lovers have welcomed the move.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The decision addresses a gap in animal welfare policy for service animals, which are classified as equipment in many government inventories. Maharashtra had no formal retirement protocol for police dogs until now, leaving handlers to arrange private adoptions. The home department's report documented that dogs showed stress behaviours including food refusal after transfer, which is consistent with canine separation anxiety studied in working dog programmes globally. The new arrangement commits the state to lifelong care costs, though the police department has not disclosed a budget estimate. The next step is a detailed circular from the home department laying out the scheme's implementation rules.
Source: rediff.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
