Kalaburagi Police In Karnataka Perform Service Dog Rita's Last Rites

The last rites of Rita, a crime squad dog with Kalaburagi district police in Karnataka were performed on Wednesday, December 25. The police dog had served for 11 years and helped solve countless cases during his service period.

Rita had retired due to health reasons a month ago after being a part of almost 900 cases, Kalaburagi superintendent of police, A Srinivasulu said.

Srinivasulu was quoted by ANI as saying, “Yesterday in the Kalaburagi district, a police crime dog passed away due to ill health. The dog retired one month ago due to health reasons...The police crime dog 'Rita' participated in almost 900 cases...The dog was with the Kalaburagi police for 11 years...We are doing the last rites with police honours.”

Earlier this year in October, a Belgian Malinois sniffer dog named Phantom, serving in the Indian Army died during a counter-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir. Phantom made the ultimate sacrifice while pursuing terrorists in the Battal area of Akhnoor.

Born in May 2020, Phantom was inducted into service in August 2022 and quickly became an invaluable asset in multiple high-stakes missions. His tragic end occurred while assisting troops during a critical phase of the operation.

Also Read: Indian Army Dog, Phantom, Dies While Protecting Troops In J&K Counter-Terror Op