Intense heat is causing discomfort not only to humans but to the animals also. Delhi Police Headquarters has issued orders to the officer in-charge of its Dog Squad against taking the sniffer dogs to the crime spots owing to the intense heat. The order is effective from June 1 and will remain in force till July 31. The order states that sniffer dogs should not be taken on the scene of crime between 10 am and 6 pm except in heinous cases where it is deemed necessary. Delhi Police Dog Squad has 45 highly-trained labradors, German Shepherds and Cocker Spaniels. It has been noticed that the canines develop nasal bleeding symptoms if taken out during the daytime which affects their sniffing prowess.
The recent order issued by Rajan Bhagat DCP Crime (CRO/PRO) said the canines will not go for routine operations to detect the explosives at the market places. “This burning heat affects them during such operations. Nose bleeding is very common as they have to move around and sniff at several places in the market,” said a police officer. These high pedigree dogs are sensitive to extreme heat and they develop nasal complications if taken out during daytime. Bhagat added that he had issued instructions to the handlers that dog squad should be pressed into service between the stipulated time. The handler will take the sniffer dogs to the crime scene either before 10 am or after 6 pm. The district DCPs too have been informed about the order, Bhagat said.
The handlers have been instructed that normal checking will be restricted between June 1 and July 31. But they can take them out if there was an emergency, especially to detect explosives.
There are three different breeds of dogs in the dog squad of Delhi Police's Crime Branch located at Chanakyapuri and RK Puram in South Delhi, Kalyanpuri in East Delhi and Janakpuri in West Delhi, apart from the main unit in Model Town. The other canines are lodged in districts and they are being looked after by the district teams.
According to a handler, the canines are inducted when they are eight months old and normally remain in service till they turn nine. A pup aged around eight month's costs between Rs 40,000 and Rs 50,000 while an older canine trained by the Army costs around Rs 3 lakh.
Dog Squad is the fulcrum of the anti-terror operation of Delhi Police as they help them to detect explosives, seize drugs and track criminals. Apart from helping police in nabbing many hardened criminals, curbing narcotics smuggling and detecting explosives, these dogs participate in All-India Police Duty Meet competition held every year. They have won several medals in the past.
Delhi police also issues their sniffer dogs a retirement certificate when they stop taking their services. According to the standard practice, the 'retired dogs' are put in the care of an NGO (non-government organisation).