KANNUR: The Kerala Police’s K9 squad has found unlikely stars in its beagle unit. The five female beagles, trained to detect explosives, have become instant crowd-pullers-both at inspection points and on social media.
Unlike the usual intimidating image of police dogs, these floppy-eared officers have charmed the public with their petite size and playful demeanor. Leading the pack is ‘Lovely’ from the Kannur K9 force, now affectionately known as Cute Lovely. She has become a selfie magnet, drawing admirers wherever she is deployed.
Compact and efficient, beagles are primarily assigned to detect explosives at airports and inside aircraft. Kerala currently has beagle units in Ernakulam City, Ernakulam Rural, Thiruvananthapuram, Idukki, and Kannur.
The beagle squad was introduced in 2020, when five beagles were inducted-three sourced from Punjab Police and two from Thiruvananthapuram. Trained at the Police Dog Training Academy in Thrissur, they now serve across the state: Lucky in Thiruvananthapuram, Teddy in Ernakulam City, Lovely in Kannur, Berry in Ernakulam Rural, and Dolly in Idukki.
But training them wasn’t all smooth sailing. “Beagles are the most playful of dogs, which made training them a challenge. Their hyperactive nature required more effort compared to other breeds. But once trained, they are extremely accurate and disciplined,” said CPO Sherin V, a dog handler with the Kannur squad. In Kannur, Lovely is handled by CPOs Rajeesh Babu and Nigeesh K V.
Lovely’s popularity extends well beyond her official duties. “At the Nava Kerala Sadas dog show in Kannur, she stole the show. Everyone wanted to pet her or take selfies. Wherever she goes, people gather,” Sherin recalled. Her charm has translated seamlessly onto social media. Short reels of Lovely sniffing inspection lines, wagging her tail during duty breaks, or tilting her head at flashing cameras have gone viral on Instagram and Facebook. Many of these videos, shot by curious onlookers, are captioned with affectionate emojis and hashtags, cementing her status as a K9 celebrity.
“Lovely has become the face of reels. Even people who scroll past Instagram updates pause when they see her videos. She has turned into the friendly, adorable ambassador of the K9 squad,” Sherin said with a smile.
Kerala’s K9 squad currently has 144 active dogs, with Belgian Malinois rated as the most efficient breed. Dobermans and Labradors add further muscle, while the miniature Jack Russell Terrier is also deployed in Thiruvananthapuram for explosive detection during VVIP duties.