Thrissur: Thunder, a retired Kerala police sniffer dog, died on Monday due to illness.
The police bid adieu to the dog, who joined the dog squad in 2009 and cremated him with state honours.
Also, the police honoured him with gun salute and police band.
Thunder was housed at the retirement home for dogs, Vishranthi, Kerala Police Academy since his retirement with 6 other dogs like him. Thunder served in the Explosives Detection Wing at Kollam.
Eleven-year-old Thunder served the Kollam City Police for about 10 years since his induction into the force. Currently, there are 120 dogs in service in the Kerala police force.
"All protocols of police honours will be followed when they are buried,” state police chief Loknath Behera said. He helped the dog in two major cases of detection of explosives.
The dogs in the police force are decommissioned or retired if they have an incurable ailment or a veterinarian has recommended so.
They were earlier handed over to NGOs or other private individuals interested in taking care of them but they will be retained at the retirement homes hereafter.
The dogs are kept in luxury- with fans, television, play equipment and separate toilets at Vishranthi for their service to the police force.
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