THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 15 Belgian Malinois dogs which include Maya, a specialist cadaver trainee dog that helped police and National Disaster Response Force team in locating three bodies braving heavy rain during last August, will be passing out of K9 squad of Kerala Police on Wednesday.For the first time, Thiruvananthapuram will be hosting the event much to the happiness of dog lovers in the capital city as the event is open to public.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, an ardent pet lover and a pet parent of Robin, a four-year-old Labrador Retriever, will be receiving the salute from the Belgian Malinois dogs where they will be putting up a show of their skills they had acquired during the course of their 10-month intense training.
Usually the K9 squad passes out from their training centre itself at Kerala Police Academy (KPA), Thrissur. But this time there is an exception which will give an opportunity for dog lovers in capital city to see them perform. The first set of five Belgian Malinois which were bought from Punjab Home Guards in 2019 has since been deployed in various dog squads across the state.
Following their brilliant performance, the Kerala Police decided to buy 15 more Belgian Malinois who will pass out from Police Stadium at Thycaud here on Wednesday at 5 pm. A senior police official told TNIE that the K9 squad is undergoing a sea change by bringing in ‘trade dogs’ instead of the earlier type ‘show dogs.’
“The 15 Belgian Malinois have been trained in dispersing mobs, catching thieves, tracing robbers, detecting bombs and sniffing out narcotic substances. Along with Belgian Malinois, mostly indigenous breeds like Kanni, Chippiparai and Mudhol Hound as well as Working Labradors and Beagle, who have undergone training at KPA, will be performing before the chief minister and police officials for 90 minutes”, said a senior police official.Already, 15 Belgian Malinois have reached Thiruvananthapuram and are engaged in two-hour training during morning and evening before their D-day.