Pic for representational purpose only
And you thought only you retire and only you have your tales to tell your young ones? Ask Zippo, Maple and Winnie, if you can dare to! Zippo is a male and Maple and Winnie are females — they are dogs but of sterner mettle.
Today, after work, they will hang their boots, rather bid adieu to their uniformed colleagues in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) unit at Ahmedabad Airport. They will make way for the younger generation as they step down from their roles as sniffer dogs on September 30.
The three from the Labrador family, performing meritorious service with the CISF unit for a decade, have reached their superannuation.
“Every dog inducted with the CISF unit has a tenure of 10 years. Of the five dogs they have, three have reached their retirement age,” said an official from the CISF unit of Ahmedabad Airport. Unlike our bureaucrats or other humans, they can’t get an extension!
So, why do Zippo, Maple and Winnie deserve a three-salute farewell? They could sniff explosives and contraband from impossible places — can you search a needle in a haystack? The trio could do precisely that.
But, again, if you thought after retirement they would be yawning away doing nothing — as many of us do, if you really don’t know Zippo, Maple and Winnie already have post-retirement assignments. They will be spreading love and cheer.
They will be adopted by dog-loving families of Ahmedabad. Two of them will be adopted by one family, the third by another family. “We have carried out thorough verification as well on the families adopting our canine friends,” said the official.
All three Labradors retiring from the force make way for two more Labradors and one Cocker Spaniel as their successors.
All from the canine family deputed with CISF at the airport have undergone six months of intensive Improvised Explosives Devices (IED) training at BSF’s Special training centre in Ranchi. The three new incumbents have undergone the same drill.
“As soon as we receive information or suspect a bag, we take the canine colleagues to the spot. In case they sniff something suspicious, they signal us by either sitting next to the bag or by barking,” said the official.
Each of them has an eight-hour shift at the airport. The authorities spend between Rs 8,000 – Rs 10,000 per month on their canine heroes.
