After 10 years on duty, Kerala Police dog Samantha heads home with her handler

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Pathanamthitta District Police Chief R. Anand offers a farewell to police dog Samantha at her retirement ceremony on Saturday. | Photo Credit: LEJU KAMAL

For more than a decade, Samantha followed her handler into raids, searches and narcotics operations. On Saturday (September 19, 2026), the veteran Labrador walked out of the police force beside him once again. But this time, there was no duty waiting for them. He was taking her home.

The Labrador, identified as K9-286 in police records, 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 had defined Samantha’s years in service. Walking beside Mr. Antony in front of District Police Chief R. Anand, Samantha saluted the officer and received a salute and garland in recognition of her service.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Anand referred to 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 underpin the police K9 squad.

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

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

Samantha had joined the district K9 squad as a narcotics sniffer and went on to assist police in more than 350 investigations. Over the course of her service, she helped police detect narcotic substances worth crores of rupees.

She also represented Pathanamthitta at the 2023 State Police Duty Meet, securing third place in tracking and scent identification categories. Her performance earned her several good service entries from the District Police Chief.

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

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

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