Chandigarh: Retired K-9s of ITBP keep date with special children
Vijay Mohan
Chandigarh, May 17
After guarding tough Himalayan borders and neutralising deadly threats from bombs and terrorists, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force’s (ITBP) canine warriors have chipped in to help out children with special needs in Chandigarh, much to their joy and delight.
In the first instance of its kind in India, four retired ITBP dogs, Sultan and Rozy, both Labradors; Speed, a German Shepard; and Toofan, a Malinois, visited the Institute of Special Children here as part of a therapy process for children affected with autism spectrum disorder.
“The ITBP is the first force in the country that is collaborating with a government institution for special children so that our veteran K-9s (specially trained police dogs) can help improve the lives of kids,” Dr Sudhakar Natarajan, Deputy Inspector-General, heading the ITBP’s veterinary branch, said. “This is also the first time in the country that dogs are being used for the therapy of special children,” he added.
The dogs will be visiting the institute three times a week. All four K-9s have retired after putting in many years of service in counter-insurgency areas and have detected numerous explosives and enemy ambushes. They are at present housed in the ITBP’s retirement home for dogs at its National Training Centre for Dogs in Bhanu, near Chandigarh, where there are a total of 16 such dogs at present.
Autism spectrum is a serious developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact. It impacts the nervous system and affects the overall cognitive, emotional, social and physical health of the affected individual and requires a specialist approach to deal with it.
“It has been scientifically validated that non-verbal and non-human interaction of special children with trained K-9s can improve their demeanour, hand-to-eye coordination and eye contact besides reducing hyperactivity in some cases. The presence of a canine companion has a soothing effect on children with special needs,” said Dr Natarajan.
