VELLORE: Lucy, an explosive-detection dog, retired from the 'Detective Dog Squad' on May 31 after completing 10 years of service in the Vellore unit. A female labrador, Lucy was born on November 26, 2011 and she joined the services of the Vellore dog squad, starting as a trainee in May 2012.
From then on, the canine had been tasked with detecting explosives. Lucy went on to bag a silver medal at a state-level annual competition held in 2014 that saw the participation of trained dogs from all the districts.
"These dogs had to sniff out explosive materials hidden in a building, vehicle, bag, human, and under the earth. Once finished, they would be tasked with the obedience test and refusing the food test. Overall, Lucy performed well and brought home the silver medal on behalf of the Vellore dog squad," M Sasikumar, the dog squad trainer, told The New Indian Express.
During its 10-year long service, Lucy had carried out security checks by conducting explosive-detection searches at venues before any major political and public meetings. The squad described Lucy as gentle and lovable. It is affectionate towards strangers and never intimidated anyone, the squad trainer said. On Wednesday, a day after Lucy’s official retirement was announced, the squad arranged a farewell to bid adieu to the canine.
Dog squad incharge, Jerald Wilson, and trainers, J Elangovan, C Dhanasekaran, M Sasikumar, and S Guhan Raj (Lucy's personal trainer), celebrated the occasion by cutting a cake and honoured Lucy with garlands and shawls.
Lovable and gentle
The squad described Lucy as gentle and lovable. It is affectionate towards strangers and never intimidated anyone