Maharashtra CM Announces Retired Police Dogs Will Stay Under State Care

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday announced that retired state police dogs will no longer be put up for external adoption after completing 10 years of service. Under the new policy directive, the service dogs will stay enrolled in the police force and continue living under the care and companionship of their long-term police handlers.

The Maharashtra Home Department will directly assume responsibility for funding all post-retirement expenses for the canines. This full-time state-backed support will cover all healthcare, nutrition, and daily living needs for the dogs during their post-service years.

Fadnavis stated that a dog that has served in the police force for the stipulated 10-year period should not be made to suffer at the turn of retirement. The Chief Minister noted that post-retirement, the police dogs should be allowed to spend the rest of their lives in comfort alongside their familiar handlers.

The decision marks a key policy shift from the previous protocol regarding service animals in Maharashtra. Prior to this directive, service dogs were routinely retired after 10 years and placed for external adoption with new owners outside the department.

That earlier adoption system raised consistent concerns over the emotional and psychological well-being of the dogs following separation from their handlers. Many dogs experienced trauma, acute mental distress, and refused food after being pulled away from their long-term human companions and placed in unfamiliar home environments.

To address this distress, the state government decided to allow the dogs to remain in their familiar working environment with the officers who handled them. The policy is designed to ensure that the long-standing bond and companionship developed between police personnel and their canine partners is maintained in a supportive and mutually beneficial manner throughout the animals' post-retirement lives.