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The dog handlers of the Navi Mumbai police force expressed their joy following the State government's decision that retired police dogs will no longer be put up for adoption to third parties and instead remain within the police department alongside their long-time handlers.
Reflecting on his Doberman tracker dog named Arya, Gaikwad shared that Arya came to him in 2016, completed 10 years of service, and is scheduled to retire in three months. He said that the handlers previously felt anxious about whether external adopters would properly care for the dogs, making the new policy a tremendous comfort. "He came to me in 2016, and he has completed 10 years, and after 3 months, he is retiring. In the morning, their practice, toilet practice, then later their food, then if there are any calls, attending calls, then rest in the afternoon, in the evening a little practice on the ground, then dinner in the evening. Earlier, we used to give dogs outside to take care of them; in one way, we also used to feel a bit anxious about whether we would be able to take care of him properly or not. But now that he will stay with us, it feels even better listening to that," he said. Gaikwad added, "Previously, it was very painful when we had to retire the dogs, but this decision has brought us great joy. We will now be able to care for them throughout their lives, ensuring the dogs face no difficulties." Police Constable and dog handler Ashwin Thakur also highlighted the fulfilment that comes with the profession. "Working with dogs feels good; their caretaking and working with them feels nice. It feels very good that if he stays with us, we will take good care of him after retirement," Thakur noted. The Maharashtra government recently took a significant decision regarding dogs serving in the police force. Under this decision, instead of being put up for adoption upon retiring after 10 years of service, these dogs will remain in the care of the police. The police team will now look after these dogs for the rest of their lives. The Maharashtra Home Department will directly fund all post-retirement costs, including nutrition, healthcare, and daily living needs. By shifting from external adoption to full state-backed lifetime care, the initiative ensures that retired police dogs receive the comfort and familiar surroundings they require after completing their service. (ANI)
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