123 Kolkata: Each of the 41 members of the Kolkata Police Dog Squad has been allotted Rs 6,750 per month towards their diet. The diet was also tweaked to include salmon oil or fish oil, apart from their daily intake of meat, eggs, and greens.
"There is a reason why we are spending around Rs 36 lakh per year on the diet of the 41 dogs in our kennel. It's not just rice and meat that form the staple meals, where trained cooks ensure they prepare food twice daily so that these important members of KP can perform their best each day. We need a balanced diet in this heat, where we are cutting down on exercises and adding necessary swimming sessions. That is the reason why we are allotting 1.5 kg of curd for the dogs each month, with the summers seeing them eating around 2 kg to 2.5 kg of curd," explained a dog handler.
Each dog of the KP canine family is now allotted 3 kg of green vegetables each month, along with 13 other forms of food. Carrots, which contain vitamin A, biotin, vitamin K, potassium, and vitamin B6, are an important component in any dog's diet, explain the handlers. "Similarly, broccoli contains a huge variety of vitamins, including vitamin K, vitamin C, and potassium, which improve bone density, battle diseases, and improve heart health in dogs," said one of them.
"The idea is to ensure that the menu is balanced. A complete and balanced diet includes proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals," explained an officer. The annual contract for the raw food items was floated by Lalbazar last week after formalising the diet plan with experts.
Take the example of eggs, 30 of which are required per month. "Cooked eggs are perfectly safe and nutritious for dogs. One egg provides some of almost every vitamin and mineral, plus lots of protein," added an officer.
According to the police, every month they need six kilos of wheat dalia, an increase from previous years since it was found to be suitable for dogs who remain overworked on most days. The IPL, for example, takes place during extreme heat. Wheat dalia is a staple diet for dogs on duty at Eden Gardens.
Three kilos of good quality rice, 750 grams of pulses, three kilos of red meat, and nine kilos of boneless chicken also form important portions of their diet. Every month, another 1.5 kgs of meat bones are bought separately for each dog so that they can chew on them to strengthen their teeth, explained cops.
Although oil is not used in cooking, there is garlic, salt, and turmeric. For that, police buy 150 grams of turmeric powder and salt and 300 grams of raw garlic every month.