ITBP sniffer dogs that served nation among those evacuated from Kabul

The three dogs — Maya, Bobby and Roobi — were brought to the Air Force Station Jamnagar in Gujarat by the IAF C-17 aircraft that evacuated several Indians.

On Wednesday, the dogs reached ITBP’s Chawala Camp to “familiar smells and sounds” after serving the country for three years in Afghanistan.

As per sources, the three dogs had been deployed as part of the bomb detection squad for the Indian Embassy in Kabul.

The dogs, aged between 5 and 6 years, would sniff objects and areas to alert officials of any possible threat.

ITBP officials said that the canines carried out their duty with “bravery, professional competence and fierce loyalty” to the troops.

The dogs were responsible for detecting many improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and managed to save the lives of not only Indian diplomats but also Afghan locals, officials said.

The organisation also hailed the efforts of head constables Kishan Kumar, Bijendra Singh and Atul Kumar, and members of the K9 wing, who handled and supervised the three dogs.

“The dogs are very happy now that they are back. They seem to be joyful about the fact that they are in familiar territory with known smells, sights and sounds. They did a wonderful job and made our troops very proud with their dedicated work. We hope they will continue to serve us in their best capacity,” said an official. Maya is a Labrador while Bobby is a Doberman and Ruby belongs to the Malinois breed. The dogs have been described as disciplined, professional and have worked with “zero error” during their time in Kabul.

The three dogs have been trained at the National Training Centre for Dogs (NTCD) Bhanu, an elite dog training school in Haryana’s Panchkula.

All the canines trained at the institute are deployed on rotational basis as per requirement. After Maya, Bobby and Roobi enjoy their break, they will be given a fresh posting.