Hindustani78
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The retired animal was hailed for his good work during the November 2008 terror attacks in the city
Retired police dog Caesar, who was hailed for his good work during the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, passed away at a farmhouse for retired police dogs in Virar on Thursday. The Labrador was the last of the four retired sniffer dogs with the Mumbai Police that were adopted by animal lover Fizzah Shah. The other dogs were Max, Sultan and Tiger, which died sometime back.
“Although suffering from arthritis, Caesar was in good health until a ew months ago after the death of Tiger. He displayed signs of depression after Tiger’s demise and had to be hospitalised,” Ms. Shah said.
Trained in Pune
Caesar was inducted into the Mumbai Police when he was three months old. He was trained in Pune for six months after which he was pressed into service as a sniffer dog with the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad. He retired in 2013.
“He was the friendliest of all from the team. He liked to eat a lot and was very playful. I am glad I got to spend time with him but I only regret not having met him earlier,” Ms. Shah recalled.
Trainer Santosh Bhogle remembered Caesar as an “alert and conscious” dog. “Caesar was responsible for detecting hand grenades and RDX at Nariman House and at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus,” he said. The Mumbai Police paid homage to Caesar.
Mumbai Police commissioner D.D. Padsalgikar said, “The brave, alert and efficient Caesar will be remembered fondly for his services. An emotional moment for all of us.”
(The writer is an intern with The Hindu)
