West Bengal: Rescued stray dog becomes top member of elite sniffer club

Kolkata, March 7: She was a stray dog who was being mistreated but under proper care, 'Asha' made a remarkable comeback to become a member of an elite sniffer dog club.

The dog was rescued in an injured condition by personnel of West Bengal Police from outside their training facility and put under treatment. That was 18 months ago.

"The dog was bleeding when she was taken inside the campus," senior West Bengal Police Training Academy official Dipankar Bhattacharya was quoted as saying by AFP.

'Asha' made full use of the opportunity, thanks to its talent matching higher breeds like German Shepherd and Labradors. Her special sniffing sense saw her completing the training successfully and she is now an able member of the sniffer dog club that hunts down drugs and explosives.

Head of the academy Sajal Mandal praised the dog and said there was no match to her intense power of smelling. Besides, she was also hailed as the fastest runner and is the first mixed-breed canine to join the 30-strong unit.

"She performed better than her pedigree peers, jumping nearly six feet (two metres) high and crossing hurdles," Mandal said.