One mom, seven cops! Labrador siblings join Kerala Police Squad

ALAPPUZHA: From a family home in Kollam to police duty across Kerala, seven Labrador siblings are about to begin an unusual new chapter together — as members of the state police’s K9 squad.

It all started with a simple wish. Jafeena and Raphael, a couple from Golden Breeze in Alayamon, Kollam, wanted a puppy for their five-year-old Labrador, Ippakki. They found him a mate in Emi, a female dog belonging to one of Jafeena’s friends. The result? A litter of 11 puppies.

The couple kept one, gave three to friends and decided to donate the remaining pups to the police after coming across an announcement inviting people to contribute puppies for the force’s dog squad.
Five of them — Kalvari, Shakthi, Tejas, Miraj and Vikrant — were handed over to the police K9 squad on July 5. Two are set to join the Thiruvananthapuram City and Rural squads, while the other three are earmarked for Kochi, Kottayam and Idukki.

The family reunion with the police is not over yet. The force recently took in two more siblings, Kanthari and Nangeli. After a week in quarantine, they too will join the training programme at the Kerala Police Academy in Thrissur. They have been selected for the K9 squads in Wayanad and Kasaragod.

In a rather remarkable family story, seven puppies born to the same mother are now preparing to serve in different parts of the state.

From Canada to Kollam — and now, the police force

Jafeena and Raphael spent 25 years working as chartered accountants in Canada before returning to Kerala in 2018. It was after their return that they brought Ippakki home from a friend’s house.

Little did they know that their wish for a companion for their pet would eventually lead to seven of his offspring joining the police force.

Kerala-bred pups take centre stage

Until recently, the police had largely relied on breeders from other states to buy dogs for their K9 squads, often at considerable cost. With quality breeders and pedigree dogs becoming more common in Kerala, the Home Department gave the go-ahead to select suitable dogs from people willing to donate their puppies.

The move also comes at a time when several dogs already serving in the K9 squads are approaching retirement age, creating a need for fresh recruits to be selected and trained. The seven Labrador siblings are now getting their first taste of police life at the Kerala Police Academy in Thrissur.

Their training includes explosive detection, and academy officials say the pups are performing well. From a pet owner’s wish for a companion to a litter of future police dogs, Ippakki and Emi’s family has certainly made an unusual mark on Kerala’s police force.