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Retired Indian Army dogs await adoption, here's how civilians can bring home a hero

Indian Army dogs are looked after well while they are serving but there’s no predicting where they wind up. Some retired furry officers live out their lives as guard dogs and others may get rehabilitated. While it makes a case against euthanasia, adoption can give the retired service dogs a chance at the life they deserve.

TN Viral Desk

Updated Oct 3, 2022, 18:45 IST

How to adopt a retired army dog and application process | Representative image

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KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Military dogs are far more disciplined and active than pets or strays and being put up in a kennel undermines them.
Until 2015, Indian Army's dogs were put to sleep unless they were gallantry award winners.
Adoption by a loving family can be life-changing for these heroes.

Unmatched discipline, indomitable fight, perfect grasp on commands, and an unfathomably brilliant sense of smell - much of what defines a soldier, also fits our furry, four-legged national heroes’ description.

However, Indian Army dogs — for all of their decorated status — don’t always end with the same retirement privileges as their uniformed bipedal counterparts.

So long as they’re serving, military dogs are well cared-for but while some may wind up as guard dogs, many are rehabilitated into dog shelters when they retire. Not only are the canines restricted to a small physical space in these facilities, they live out their retired days living in a sedentary lifestyle - a far cry from how nature intended it to be.

The pups begin training at the age of six months. When they’re about a year old, dogs graduate to performing specialised tasks such as sniffing and rescuing, independent journalist Navya Singh says.

Until they turn eight, these dogs follow rigorous routines and are extremely fit as a result.

“So, their requirements are very different from a regular pet dog,” Singh explains. “A dog that has been very active physically will find it very difficult to stay in a kennel. It makes them vulnerable to heart diseases and mental trauma.”

Adopting an army dog — who would have been put down until seven years ago — is now an option and gives our critter friends a chance at the post-retirement life they deserve.

How to apply for adoption?

Adoptive dog parents can submit an affidavit to the RVC Centre and College in Meerut Cantt or their headquarters in Delhi.

Considerations before you adopted a retired dog

If you decide to bring a furry hero home, following the recommended diet and fitness regime would be non-negotiable. From a budgetary perspective, it could also prove relatively expensive.

Change in fate

Up until 2015, Indian Army dogs were euthanized after the end of their service or if they were considered unfit - unless they were gallantry award winners — but a Delhi High Court order outlawed this practice, allowing them to be rehomed into rehabilitation centres.

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