Vijayapura, 21 Feb

Karnataka's Vijayapura District Police organised a ceremony on Saturday to mark the retirement of two veteran police dogs— Raksha and Stella. Superintendent of Police Lakshman Nimbargi presided over the event honouring the police dogs' 12 years of service in crime detection and security.

Superintendent Nimbargi stated that Stella played a vital role in over 600 criminal cases, helping the department identify more than 30 accused individuals. Noting that her contribution to crime detection is highly valued by the force.

Meanwhile, Raksha, who specialises in detecting explosives and contraband, has also been a prominent fixture in security operations.

The retirement of both these dogs was an emotional moment for the department, with the police officials remembering their service.

Meanwhile, two new police dogs, Yoddha and Veda, were officially inducted into the service. Yoddha, a Belgian Malinois breed, specialises in crime detection, while Veda is trained in detecting bombs and explosives. Nimbargi expressed confidence that the new dogs will further strengthen the department's performance.

In total, over 150 Indian dog breeds have been deployed across multiple operations, including the Western and Eastern borders and anti-Naxalite zones, according to a press release.

The statement noted that their performance has validated the decision to integrate indigenous breeds into critical security and operational roles.