Indian Army Dogs Sophie & Vida Honoured With Commendation Badges For Saving Human Lives

During his 68th Mann Ki Baat address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the role of dogs invarious security operations in the country.?

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He praised the Indian Army dogs Vida - a labrador - and Sophie - a cocker spaniel - who were awarded the Chief of Army Staff ‘Commendation Cards’ on the 74th Independence Day.

Sophie - a cocker brown spaniel - of the Special Frontier Force(Bomb Disposal Squad), saved lives by sniffing out the presence ofinitiator/accelerant during a search operation, while Vida - a black Labrador - from an Army Dog Unit in the Northern Command, was instrumental in detectingfive mines and one grenade buried underground, preventing casualties andinjury to troops.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme had urged people to adopt and raise local breeds. The army dog unit, fondly called 'The Silent Warriors', have time and again proven to be an asset for the security forces.

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In the past year, these dogs have contributed to 53successful missions for the Indian Army, including tracking of terrorists andrecovering individuals from snow-bound areas. In over 30 instances, thesecanines have sniffed out IEDs/Explosives.

According to reports, the superiority of these caninesoldiers employed by Indian Army has led to increasing demand for these dogsfrom neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar and Cambodia.

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