Kolkata: As the city votes on Wednesday, the Kolkata Police Dog Squad has already deployed its newest members — Ina, Tina, Snoopy and Moon — to secure the city's high-stakes political landscape. The four labradors, recently designated as "explosive experts", transitioned directly from rigorous training to the frontline of VIP security and rally ground sanitisation.
According to Lalbazar sources, the induction of these four-legged recruits is timely. While the squad currently boasts 40 dogs, the specialised nature of election duty requires a robust rotation of its 30 explosive experts to manage the surge in political rallies and roadshows across the city.
On Wednesday, though, at least two of them are likely to be deployed independently in booths where VIPs might cast their votes.
The four labradors — three yellow and one black — recently returned from a seven-month intensive stint at the BSF training centre in Gwalior. However, officials noted that "practical training" in the urban landscape of Kolkata is vastly different from the controlled environment of a training centre.
"There is a significant difference between duty at a training facility and the high-pressure environment of VIP security in a bustling city," a senior cop said. To bridge this gap, all four canines, especially the "more experienced" Ina and Tina, are currently undergoing hands-on training by shadowing senior, more experienced detective dogs during active sweeps of rally stages and VVIP corridors.
Incidentally, the "practical training" has coincided with a brutal heat wave in the city. The recruits are frequently tasked with street duty lasting four to five hours a day, inspecting both sides of roads before major roadshows. To ensure the health of the squad, the Police Training School has implemented a strict summer regimen.
The dogs' daily menu has been adjusted to include yoghurt and glucose to prevent dehydration, with chicken served for lunch. To manage their body temperatures, the animals are bathed twice a day in the PTS pond and undergo swimming exercises alongside their morning and evening drills.
Lalbazar officials emphasised that the welfare of the new members remains a priority. "If any of the new recruits show signs of distress due to the heat, they are immediately pulled from duty and given rest," an official added.