New Delhi, July 5
The K-9 in police and paramilitary forces are often the unsung heroes who leave a mark with their dedication to the force and silently go away depicting a dog's purpose in life!
K9 hero Pansy, a five-year-old dog of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) who recently left this world after playing a remarkable role was one of the most disciplined and dedicated CRPF personnel with paws.
Pansy, a five-year-old female Belgian Shepherd was inducted in CRPF in January 2020 in the main unit of Bihar. Pansy was a member of the CoBRA (Commando Battallion for Resolute Action), a specially trained force of commandos in CRPF. After undergoing intense training from explosives to detection, she was put on the job and deputed to handler CoBRA Constable Rupam and Premjit Sarkar.
Speaking more about their courageous canine, Commandant Naresh, Battalion 205 said, "Pansy was a star. She was not just a CRPF dog but had immense knowledge and trained behaviour to detect explosives in any operation assigned to her team. She was a part of the was part of the dispatch company assigned for operations. Every battalion has 14 dogs who are deployed on operations".
He added, "In February 2023, she played an important role in an operation at Jharkhand and detected 50kgs of IED. Similarly, in 2024, she discovered a huge dump of ammunition carrying 1200 pieces in Bihar. It was due to her alertness and discovery, CRPF could seize ammunition at such huge level".
K-9 Pandy underwent a horrible episode on June 30 when she developed stomach issues and was rushed to the hospital.
Constable Rupam who is devasted by her loss said, "After routine excercise on the day at around 11:30 am, she was uncomfortable, she was having loose motions and wasn't getting up. She was rushed to canine centre and then to hospital in Gaya. She was given treatment there for right hours- she was taken back to CRPF unit".
He added, "I was much relieved after bringing her back and we gave her prescribed food. She was showing no symptoms of any unease or issues. However after 12:30 am she again started coughing and started making sounds. We rushed to check and found her body was very stiff. We immediately gave her CPR but within half an hour, she left us".
K-9 Pansy's passing has shocked the dog unit to a great extent as the K-9 had no issues, allergies or any health complications at all.
Constable Rupam recalled, "From 2022-2023 I was posted with her in Bihar. In 2023 Jharkhand operation, she stayed with me and the team for 11 nights and 10 days in a camp in forest and we detected the IEDs. Most recenlty, I went with her to Chhattisgarh and she helped us detected six naxals in Bijapur who were eventually neutralized. She was one of the most disciplined dog I saw among all".
The dogs recruited in CRPF are trained at the CRPF dog training centre in Bengaluru when they are hardly 3-4 months of age. They are trained in IP (infantry patrolling), IED (improvised explosive devices), agility (to track and detect uneven terrains, jungle areas) and assault (to attack enemies).
The K-9 units are dispatched in the operations where only after a thorough detection and clearance by them, the battalions move ahead. Try play the most sensitive and risk taking job in forces.
K-9 Pansy was a smart sniffer and recently finished a specialized course in IP and IED testings. K-9 Pansy was laid to rest with full honour in Bihar, her main unit.
We often see the K-9 squad depicting their skills from detecting explosives, jumping from a fire ring, showing their agility and various techniques on Independence Day and Republic Day and special occasions of the forces but the dogs depicting these skills are much more than what we see. A dog that joins force as young as when it was 3-month-old puppy lives each moment and every second of his life for the force. K-9 Pansy was one among them.
