On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a special mention in his 68th Maan ki Baat address about two Indian army dogs named Sophie and Vida.
Sophie is trained to detect explosives and has been successful in detecting the presence of initiator/accelerant that could have been used in Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). A member of the bomb disposal squad of the Special Frontier Force, the canine was awarded the Chief of Army Staff ‘Commendation card’ on August 15 this year along with Vida.
A video of the two dogs receiving commendation badges was shared by journalist Shiv Aroor.
Meet Sophie & Vida, the 2 Army IED/mine sniffer dogs that received Army chief commendation badges this month & found mention on #ManKiBaat today. pic.twitter.com/hzevpIAZWQ
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) August 30, 2020
Vida is a member of an army dog unit in Northern Command. Vida had helped in the detection of 5 mines and a grenade buried under the ground. Due to the service of the canine to the army unit, injuries and casualties of army personnel was averted.
PM lauds the contribution of dogs in security, relief operations
Hailing the contribution of the Indian army dog in performing its duty, PM Modi said, “Sophie and Vida are the dogs of the Indian Army who have been awarded the Chief of Army Staff ‘Commendation Cards’. Sophie and Vida received this honour because they performed their duties diligently while protecting their country. Our armed forces and security forces have many such brave dogs who not only live for the country but also sacrifice themselves for the country.”
Referring to the army dog unit as ‘The Silent Warriors’, PM Modi emphasised on the significance of the canines in Disaster management and rescue operations. He added, “In India, NDRF, the National Disaster Response Force has specially trained dozens of dogs. In the event of an earthquake, building collapse, these dogs are experts in searching out people trapped under debris.”
