Farewell to another veteran

Amila Prabath WANASINGHE

‘Tina’ the veteran Police dog attached to the Anuradhapura Police kennels who had helped Police to detect the largest amount of explosives during the humanitarian operation to free civilians from LTTE clutches died of a sudden illness on Monday causing immense grief among its handlers and the Police rank and file and the public at large.

Tina’s handler Police Sergeant Thushara said the animal fell ill on August 16 and it died at Navula, Matale while being taken to the Peradeniya University’s Veterinary Faculty for further diagnosis and treatment. Tina’s remains were buried at the Anuradhapura Headquarters Police Station premises with full Police honours.

Among the prize detections made by Tina were two suicide kits a claymore mine, explosives and a remote control device hidden in a van to Colombo at the Vavuniya checkpoint on September 22, 2006. Apart from this, Tina had assisted security duties at public meetings attended by VVIPs and helped in the arrest of many criminals. Tina who belonged to the German Shepherd breed was a gift from India trained at the Asgiriya Police kennels.