2 new canines join Chennai airport sniffer ranks

CHENNAI: Two sniffer dogs of the Belgian Malinois breed joined duty with the CISF dog squad on Monday after the successful completion of their training in Karnataka.

On Monday evening, the dogs Veera and Bairava joined duty at Chennai airport. The two Belgian Malinois, also known as Belgian Shepherds, were sent for special training by airport officials to Bengaluru six months ago. “Both Veera and Bairava performed very well during their training, which got completed a few days ago after which they were brought to Chennai,” said an official.

The Belgian Shepherd is a highly trainable breed whose versatility and intelligence are the stuff of canine legend. Built for hard work, the breed is being used for security purposes in many foreign countries.

In India, it is being used for the first time in the Chennai airport. So far, there are seven sniffer dogs on duty in the Chennai airport and after six months they would be increased to nine. Both dogs are currently 10 months old.