October 20, 2007
Mumbai, October 19 After having sniffed narcotics for the Bombay Customs Department for nearly nine years, two sniffer dogs embarked on their journey towards a peaceful retired life at a Nagpur bungalow on Wednesday. Purebred labradors, Maya and Pinky, are the first two dogs of the Customs to have been successfully put up for adoption.
According to G Ravindranath, additional commissioner of Customs, Mumbai Airport, Maya and Pinky became members of the Customs team in 1998 as newborn pups. “These dogs have a highly specialised job of sniffing drugs at the airport. For this, they have to be very alert and we, following a policy, have to release them from duty after nine years of age.” Both Maya and Pinky will turn nine in January.
Having been a part of several drug busts in the past, the Customs wanted the dogs to experience a restful retired life. “They have served us diligently for long and we didn’t want to condemn them. That’s why we thought of putting them up for adoption,” says P V Reddy, commissioner of Customs, Mumbai Airport.
So, in August, the department contacted animal welfare organisation Plants and Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and enquired about the adoption procedure. While initially chances of anybody coming forward to adopt 9-year-old female dogs seemed bleak, PAWS decided to take up the challenge.
Says Sunish Subramanian, secretary of PAWS, “I’ve heard that these dogs are put to sleep after their tenure. They serve us all their life and are a national pride. I really wanted them to find new homes, so I agreed.” PAWS then started notifying people through text messages, and emails.
“It is strange,” said Subramanian, “we were informing people in Mumbai, but news travelled all the way to Nagpur and in just two months, we got a patron.”
Last week, a veterinarian and animal lover Dr Shekhar Parkhi from Nagpur, approached PAWS, expressing interest in Maya and Pinky. Parkhi, who has a bungalow and a farmhouse in Nagpur, was looking for a docile pet for his four-year-old son. “The decision was instant,” he said, “I saw the dogs and knew I wanted to take them home. They are of good breed and very well-behaved and I wanted to give them a chance at life.” Soon the deal was finalised, and the dogs’ licences transferred. On Tuesday, Parkhi became the official owner of Maya and Pinky.
After a strenuous train journey of eight hours, Maya and Pinky were introduced to the Parkhi family on Thursday.
“They have settled well with us,” said Parkhi. After having a lunch of meat chops, lauki, pumpkin, rice and milk, the dogs looked quite rested in their new environment, Parkhi added. “Of course, these dogs have sniffed drugs all their life and do show signs of respiratory problems. But I am a doctor and can ensure that their remaining life passes peacefully. If they show addiction problems, I will take care of it by slowly diverting them,” said the vet, rather enthusiastically.
Parkhi conveyed a special thanks to the dogs’ handlers, “who were emotionally moved while saying goodbye their pets”.
