Kolkata: The 11 puppies procured from Chandigarh by the Kolkata Police for its canine unit, during last weekend, will soon be reaching Kolkata.
The 11 puppies, including seven Labradors, two Dobermans and two Golden Retrievers, which would be inducted into the dog squad of the Kolkata Police after completion of training at the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) facility, will soon reach Kolkata. One of the puppies which was received as a gift will also undergo training at ITBP training facility.
Sources said that each of the 11 puppies procured by the police cost about Rs 35,000. They were selected after the handlers tested their abilities through multiple tasks. Though the cops are going to return by January-end, the 12 dog trainers and two handlers will stay with the puppies in Chandigarh. The dogs are at present kept under observation to assess their health, capability and agility. In case of any problem, the concerned people will be asked to replace the puppies.
The dogs are expected to join Kolkata Police by August, this year, after training. However, the canines would also require training in the actual work environment. For that, the dogs will be taken to several places across the city, including in real incident spots.
Apart from the new procurement, two other dogs are undergoing training to sniff out human life amid natural calamities, at Cuttack in Odisha. Also, a crime tracker dog which is undergoing training in Chandigarh will be in the city by January 28. Once all the canines complete their training, the total number in the Kolkata Police dog squad will be 40.