Army dogs to get lease of life after hanging up boots

In great news for animal lovers, the Army’s practice of putting down its dogs at the end of service will soon be stopped as the Government is planning to announce a policy that will specify arrangements for these canines after their retirement, the Delhi High Court was told on Wednesday. If that happens, then Army service dogs that are normally put to sleep on retirement will get a new lease of life. 

A Bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath listed the matter for consideration on September 9 after Additional Solicitor-General (ASG) Sanjay Jain informed it that the Defence Ministry was formulating a policy with regard to the issues raised in the PIl. The court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Sanjay Kumar Singh seeking a direction to the Indian Army not to kill the dogs, which have served the nation.

The services included sniffing bombs, hunting down enemies, locating secret places and fetching evidence etc, after their retirement or when they are found inactive and unfit for service.Informing the HC that the Government will soon come out with a policy to stop the killings, Jain said that it will also make arrangements for Army service dogs upon their retirement.

The plea had alleged that “the act of the Indian Army in killing their service stocks once their service years are over is so unreasonable ... Given that these service dogs render as high a patriotic service to the nation as any other by running consistent risk to their lives and limbs in undertaking jobs of providing security to the citizens of this nation against various grave threats and dangers”.

The HC observed that the respondents were admitting that the current practice of putting the Army service dogs to sleep was against the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.The PIl has also sought direction to the Ministry and the Army Headquarters that the Indian Army shall not kill the dogs except when it is the last recourse established by quality, considered medical opinion that confirms that they pose a risk to the safety of others, including fellow service dogs and handlers. 

The plea had further asked that in such cases also, the act of killing by the Army has to be through the “most humane method as per the contemporary technology available”.It also sought directions that appropriate arrangements should be made to provide “for proper upkeep and maintenance throughout of the dogs procured by the Indian Army including their service years as well as beyond their service years.”

“Failure to provide for the care and well-being of the Army service dogs, once the best years of their life is over and instead putting them to death - given that the service rendered by the service dogs to the Republic of India is of as high a worth as that of any other - is reprehensible and unreasonable in the extreme,” the plea had said.