This new batch of Kerala police dog squad has got a family story

Jaleela, a retired chartered accountant from Anchal in Kollam, never planned to have a dog when she returned to Kerala from abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic. Five years later, her pet dogs have made her proud. Her Labrador, Ipakki, and the puppies born to his companion, Emy, have been selected for the police K9 squad.

Jaleela said she got Ipakki on the suggestion of her nephew at a time when she was going through a difficult phase in her life. "While talking to my nephew, he suggested that I get a dog. When he showed me pictures of various dogs, I liked the Labrador breed. That is how we got Ipakki from Coimbatore when he was just 38 days old," she said.

Having initially known little about caring for a dog, Jaleela and her husband now consider Ipakki their son. The couple had otherwise decided not to have children. "The entire trajectory of my life changed after we got him," she said.

Jaleela, who follows Islam, said some of her friends were surprised by her decision to keep a dog. "I researched the matter and understood that Islam does not prohibit keeping dogs but that we just have to follow certain guidelines," she said.

Wanting Ipakki to have puppies, she enquired among her friends about getting a female dog. One of her friends subsequently gave her Emy, a female dog. "The dogs were taken to the veterinarian to check whether they were medically fit. The doctors initially identified a few gynaecological problems, for which Emy underwent treatment for around two months," she said. 

“Emy gave birth to 12 puppies, nine of which are female and three male puppies. But one of them died the next day in an accident. We then spent days keeping a constant watch over the puppies and taking care of them," Jaleela said.

Not interested in selling the puppies, Jaleela began looking into the possibility of donating them to the police K9 squad. "I consulted my friend Ananthakrishnan, a retired IPS officer, to understand the procedure for handing over the dogs to the squad," she said. 

"Out of the 11 remaining puppies, seven - six females and one male - were given to the dog squad," Jaleela added. Getting the puppies selected for the squad involved a lengthy process that lasted five months and included several procedures, medical examinations, fitness tests and paperwork, she said. 

"After five months and 11 days, on July 5, five of them were approved for the squad. Just when I thought I would keep the remaining two along with the one I already had, they also got approved to join the squad. A team of officials came to my residence on Friday and picked them up," she said.

Of the puppies, Jaleela is raising one herself. She gave two to friends whom she trusts to take good care of the dogs. The fourth was given to a family that approached her while grieving the loss of its previous dog.

The puppies selected for the police force have been allotted to units in Thiruvananthapuram City, Thiruvananthapuram Rural, Kochi, Idukki, Kottayam, Kasaragod and Wayanad. They are currently at the Kerala Police Academy in Thrissur, where they will undergo training before being assigned to duty.