The Kerala Police has scaled down its ambitious plan to expand the state’s K9 squad, reducing the intake from 38 to 20 dogs due to limited space at the Thrissur dog training centre.
The expansion proposal, submitted in July, is still awaiting final approval. According to officers, the decision will be taken up after the Onam celebrations. Currently, the state police maintain 142 service dogs against a target strength of 180. The remaining additions will be carried out in phases over the next 18 months.
A senior officer explained that training more than 20 dogs at a time would compromise quality. “Each dog undergoes nine months of intensive training for roles such as narcotics and explosives detection, tracking, or search and rescue,” the officer said.
Veterinary surgeon Dr. Suman BS of the K9 unit confirmed that the training school has submitted a detailed report to police headquarters and the state police chief. “An expert committee will take a final call soon. The current focus is on German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois, breeds known for their agility and intelligence,” Dr. Suman noted.
The original procurement plan included 12 trackers, 17 explosive sniffers, six narcotic sniffers, two cadaver dogs, and one alcohol sniffer. The new batch of dogs will be sourced from central government institutions such as the CRPF, SSB, and BSF, ensuring high pedigree and working ability.
The Kerala Police earlier relied on private kennels for procurement but shifted to government centres after concerns over quality. The most recent addition was eight German Shepherds from the SSB’s breeding centre in Alwar, Rajasthan, in 2023.
