Mumbai: Inspector Cheetha is looking for a home

Unique pilot project to find homes for I-mean-business retired police dogs is finding committed canine lovers in Mumbai

When 10-year-old Cheetha, a retired police dog from Bengaluru, arrived at YODA’s shelter home in Khar last weekend, she seemed overwhelmed by her surroundings. For the most part, Cheetha kept to herself. "She was quite nervous. If someone approached her, she would try and avoid them. She didn’t warm up to people, though she was perfectly fine around the other cats and dogs," recalls Priya Hebbar, co-founder of YODA. But something miraculous happened over the week. "The ambulance driver, who had brought Cheetha to Mumbai, came over one day, and sat next to her. Within a few minutes, she walked towards him, and put her head on his lap. We realised that she wanted affection, but just didn’t know how. Her anxiety is slowly melting away."

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Cheetha, a Labrador, was formerly part of an explosives and drug detection team. She, along with nine others from Bengaluru, are now being brought to Mumbai, so that they can be rehomed, and live their retirement years with new pet parents. The initiative is the brainchild of YODA, a city-based rehabilitation centre for animals. 
"For long, we’ve been thinking about how we can rehome working or police dogs, once they have completed their 10-year service. But the idea really took root, when an animal lover from Bengaluru reached out to us, saying they had visited a shelter that kept retired dogs, and if we could find individual homes for them," adds Hebbar. The team at YODA shared a social media post with photos of the ‘veterans’. Within a span of hours, they received over a hundred queries from families across Mumbai.

Last week, the shelter home welcomed three retired police dogs, including Cheetha, who travelled nearly 20 hours to come to Mumbai. The two others, Rakshi (Dobermann) and Rock (Black Labrador) have already moved in with their new families. Seven other dogs, all of whom were formerly part of explosive and drug detection teams in Bengaluru, arrived this weekend.

Police dogs, in general, are known to be well-behaved, skilled, disciplined and highly intelligent. "Most service dogs in the country belong to three specific breeds: German Shepherd, Dobermann, and Labrador. All three are genetically known to be working breeds. They love what they do, and they thrive on using their minds. When such dogs are cooped up, they might not be as happy as those in the outdoors," says Hebbar.

Pooja Sakpal, co-founder and trustee of YODA with Cheetha and Rock, who were formerly part of an explosive and drug detection team in Bengaluru, at the shelter home in Khar. Cheetha is currently awaiting adoption. Pic/Shadab Khan

The not so great part, though, is that because these dogs don’t have a single handler all through their work life, and keep moving between jobs, they aren’t used to the stability that comes with being rehomed. 

"Most have never been inside a house, or lived with a family. And because of the kind of job they did, work has always been priority. They don’t meet a lot of outsiders, and are not very used to being petted or receiving affection. It helps them stay focused and undistracted. This often makes them slightly aloof and independent. You definitely can’t expect them to come running to you or wag their tail," Hebbar shares. It’s one of the reasons that Cheetha hasn’t found herself a home yet. "We are analysing her and giving her time to adjust to the new environment." But, not all dogs are as anxious as Cheetha. "It varies. Rakshi has been fantastic since the day he came. He is quite harmless, and very obedient." Over the week, he was adopted by Vallari Tulzapurkar and her family that lives in Bhakti Park, Wadala East. Hebbar says, "Vallari has a one-year-old hyperactive Cocker Spaniel, and our boy, is a 10-year-old service dog. This Cocker Spaniel has been jumping all over him, trying to nudge him to play, and Rakshi has not once reacted badly. He is just letting her do whatever she wants. He is like this wise, older sibling in the relationship. In fact, he is teaching her how to be calm, by just the way he plays with her. It is quite adorable."

Priya Hebbar, co-founder of YODA

This is the first time that Tulzapurkar, an animal lover, has adopted a retired dog, and she is surprised at how quickly, Rakshi, who she has now named Oliver, has adjusted to the family. "It would be too early to comment, because it’s just been few days since we brought him home, but barring the first night, when Oliver seemed a little restless and didn’t sleep too well, he has been very calm. He is so well-behaved that my 80-year-old mother doesn’t mind taking him out for walks. He needs some warmth, love and time," feels Tulzapurkar. What she found most amusing is how quickly Rakshi took to his new name. "In fact, when I called him by his original name, he didn’t respond to me. On the spur, I called him Oliver, and he looked at me. That name has somehow stuck to him now. Also, while it is assumed that service dogs don’t like to be cuddled, Oliver is different. I just have to sit quietly in front of him, and he will nudge me with his nose, so that I pet him."
 
Currently, the team at YODA is sorting out requests for adoptions, and conducting several rounds of interviews, and home visits to ensure that the environment is a safe one for the new retirees. "We want a family that will give the dog a better life. We may have a German Shepherd that is used to large spaces, so we would need to find a spacious home with a family that’s active and outdoorsy. An elderly couple won’t be able to look after a German Shepherd that needs a compulsory three-hour 
daily walk." 

Understanding a family’s schedule, their previous experience with dogs, reasons for adopting, is part of the team’s research. Hebbar says the next few years after adoption are crucial because they may need regular intervention and visits to the vet.

Mitali Parekh, canine behaviourist and dog trainer, says the challenge is to match the person to the dog. "These are working dogs, used to daily tasks and routines. Like any retired professional, the police dog would love a side job to keep busy [and make use of his skills]. Ask what the dog’s services were used for. Sniffer dogs would love scenting games every day. If the dog was used to attack or restrain, find out what the triggers and commands are. A behaviourist would help make the perfect match."

She adds that because these dogs are in their twilight years, they could need medical care soon. "So, the pet parent has to be someone who really wants to give respite, love and comfort to these hardworking civil servants. 
 
If their initiative is successful, YODA hopes to connect with police forces across the country to make the pilot project larger. "We are nervous, of course. This is the first time that we are attempting something of this kind. We have got every dog’s information with us, but we don’t have their complete history, since they have exchanged many hands. It is easy to predict a dog’s future, based on its past experiences, but here, it is not going to be easy. Having said that, we hope to set an example for other animal organisations," says Hebbar.

10
No. of years a service dog in India typically serves for

What you need to keep in mind

Courtesy: Shirin Merchant, canine behaviourist and trainer

.  A retired service dog is an excellent choice for people who are looking to adopt a well-behaved dog—they are already highly trained and will be easy to handle and train when at home.

.  When adopting a dog, regardless of whether it is a retired service dog or a dog from a shelter, always look at the dog’s personality, exercise needs and behaviour to ascertain whether it will be a good fit for your home and your lifestyle.

. These dogs actually enjoy being in a home and being loved. However, pet parents should not be over affectionate and hug and kiss the dog in the early months, as these dogs may not have known that kind of touch and may react negatively to it. Give the dog time to settle, to trust its new family and in time, it will actually turn out to be a happy, affectionate companion. There are also some amazing ways you can help a dog heal from past traumas and stresses—a good behaviourst can help you work out simple strategies for them.

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