After 10 years in service, Kerala police dog Samantha is heading home with her handler

Pathanamthitta District Superintendent of Police R. Anand bids farewell to police dog Samantha at a retirement ceremony on Saturday. | Photo credit: LEJU KAMAL

For more than a decade, Samantha followed her handler on raids, searches and narcotics operations. On Saturday (September 19, 2026), a veteran Labrador left the police force at his side again. This time, however, no duty awaited them. He led her home.

The Labrador, identified in police records as K9-286, formally retired from the Pathanamthitta district police force on Saturday. Her current handler, George Antony, has volunteered to take her home and care for her in her retirement.

The farewell at the district police headquarters was marked by the same discipline that defined Samantha’s years in the service. Samantha, who walked beside Mr. Antony in front of District Superintendent of Police R. Anand, saluted the policeman and accepted the salute and a garland in recognition of her service.

On this occasion, Mr. Anand cited Samantha’s association with her former handlers, Shyamraj and Shabu, as well as her current handler, Mr. Antony, as an example of the trust and discipline that underpins the police K9 unit.

“From the recent Operation Toofan to several other major searches and raids, Samantha has been part of our operations. Her contribution over the years has been invaluable,” said Mr Anand.

Samantha was formally handed over to Mr. Antony by the police at a ceremony. “I have been attached to Samantha since my training days. She is like a daughter to me,” said Mr Antony.

More than 350 investigations

Samantha joined the county’s K9 unit as a narcotics sniffer and went on to assist police in more than 350 investigations. During her service, she helped the cops unearth narcotics worth crores of rupees.

She also represented Pathanamthitta at the 2023 State Police Duty Meet where she secured third place in the tracking and scent identification categories. Her performance earned her several good service records from the district police chief.

The Pathanamthitta K9 Unit currently has six trained dogs specializing in narcotics detection, crime scene surveillance and explosives detection. Samantha and Rambo are narcotics sniffers, while Saya and Jack are trained in crime scene surveillance. Seego and Julie are explosive sniffers. Each dog is assigned two handlers, giving the squad a strength of 12 officers.

The K9 Unit is deployed in investigations, narcotics and explosives searches, and security measures during visits by VVIPs, including the President and Prime Minister.

Published – 20 Sep 2026 20:48 IST