india

Updated: Nov 20, 2019 07:31 IST

Ten-year-old Lovely will move to a new home on Wednesday. Her bag has been packed. After 10 years of meritorious service in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the white Labrador and six of her canine colleagues retired on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, for the first time, CISF organised a farewell ceremony for the dogs, who were awarded medals for their distinguished services and were treated with cake as they prepared to leave the force’s premises permanently.

Senior officers said these four-legged commandoes together contributed immensely by detecting nearly 400 unattended suspicious bags in Delhi Metro over the past decade.

In the ceremony, conducted at CISF’s Shastri Park facility, these dogs got together for one last time and performed a march past in front of senior CISF officers.

A CISF dog being awarded a medal during the retirement ceremony, Tuesday, November 19, 2019. ( Amal KS/HT PHOTO )

Brought to CISF’s dog squad kennel in 2009, Lovely underwent a six-month training in Ghaziabad in 2010 and since then has performed duties in the magenta, pink, yellow and blue lines of Delhi Metro, officers said.

She has attended 81 anti-terror drills and helped the force clear 51 unattended bags so far.

In all, seven dogs were retired from the CISF. ( Amal KS/HT PHOTO )

Deputy commandant CISF, Raman Kumar, said Lovely and Veer, a Cocker Spaniel, are the oldest among the seven dogs who retired on Tuesday. “They are best of the lot. Veer has an impeccable record and participated in 85 security drills and cleared 56 suspicious bags in Delhi Metro. Both Lovely and Veer have had an accuracy rate of above 95% when it came to sniffing,” he said.

Five others who leave services on Wednesday are – Labradors Kite, Jelly and Lucky, a German Sheppard Jessy and Hina, the youngest Labrador, the commandant said.

The dogs’ belongings, including their eating bowls, will be handed over to the NGO that will now look after them. ( Amal KS/HT PHOTO )

Kumar said they have packed the bags for these dogs. “They are being handed over to Friendicoes, and will spend rest of their lives at their facility in Gurugram. We packed their belongings, which include their blanket, eating bowl, leash, winter coat, harness, soaps, shampoo and grooming brush. Since these dogs are used to living in kennel and are emotionally attached to their handlers, we have a committee that visits their new shelters every month to keep a check on their condition,” he said.

Akhilesh Gupta from Friendicoes, who attended the ceremony, said that on Wednesday, these dogs would be taken to their Jangpura shelter and clinic where all of them will undergo a medical examination.

A CISF personnel takes a selfie with a CISF dog during its retirement ceremony. ( Amal KS/HT PHOTO )

“Within two days, their reports will be out and except those who need medical attention, the others will be moved to our bigger facility in Gurugram. We classify the dogs according to their behaviours. Dogs who are well trained like these ones are kept in a separate enclosure,” he said.

Gupta said these dogs will stay with them for the rest of their lives. If anyone wants to adopt them, those medically fit can be adopted after due formalities, Gupta said.